3rd Sunday of Advent- Joyful All Ye Nations

Luke 2:8-20

Do you have your Christmas shopping completed yet? We’re almost there but a few more things. Remember how important it is that we not merely turn this Christmas gift thing into a chore but that we actually somehow incarnate Christ into the whole gift giving thing that we do. We do this by investing our thoughts and self into the gift so that the person receiving it are not just another item on the list to check off.

I found a story that I think is worth hearing.

Typical of last minute Christmas shoppers, a mother was running furiously from store to store. Suddenly she became aware that the pudgy little hand of her three year old son was no longer clutched in hers. In a panic she retraced her steps and found him standing with his little nose pressed flatly against a frosty window. He was gazing at a manger scene. Hearing his mother’s near hysterical call, he turned and shouted with innocent glee: "Look mommy! It’s Jesus - baby Jesus in the hay!" With obvious indifference to his joy and wonder, she impatiently jerked him away saying, "We don’t have time for that!" [Rev. Chris Jordan, Sermons Central]

Now let’s give the mom a break: she was stressed to the hilt. She didn’t have time to fool around and play “hide and seek.” There were gifts to be bought and wrapped. I’ll let this poor mom slide on this one.

But let’s not lose sight of the reality that too many of us experience at Christmas time: We can lose sight of the Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothing, lying in a manger; Son of Man and Son of God; the Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And before we know it, another Christmas has passed, we’re cleaning up the shredded wrapping paper and we missed out on a blessing.

Today we lit the pink candle of joy. Advent tradition adds this little twist so that our hearts might skip a beat as we anticipate the birth of the savior of the world.

And so I ask you today: Is your heart filled with joyful expectation or are you struggling with this joy thing?

I’m glad you’re here for this message because the Holy Spirit has prepared something just for you. I pray that these lips of clay might properly speak what you need to hear but I will fail without the Holy Spirit’s help. Let’s look at this “joyful all ye nations rise” and discover what the hullaboo is all about.

Isaiah 12:3- With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 35:8-10 ⁸ And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. ⁹ No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, ¹⁰ and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Jeremiah 15:16- When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.

1 Peter 1:8- Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Do you believe that God wants you to have JOY in your life this morning? I believe that for me and I believe that for you. Satan would love to rob you of your joy and he does so through various means.

Question: what kind of “joy-ful” person are you?

I have identified 5 categories of individuals and what they do with this product called joy.

1) The Joy Zappers.

H.B. London has said that “these are the people who walk into a room all the joy immediately gets sucked out of the air.” He especially warns those of us in full-time Christian service to beware of these kinds of people who have nothing else to do but make our lives miserable because no matter what you do for them, they are not going to be happy and their goal is to make sure you are as miserable as they are.

Now let me say something about joy zappers: I’ve been one of them. In fact, this last year I struggled with a variety of issues and became a joy zapper. I was guilty of negativity and I am sure there may be some who dreaded seeing me show up.

I confess that to simply say that most of us can be very guilty of zapping the joy out of our marriage, time with our kids, a church meeting or at work. We get tired, we get frustrated, we get negative.

2) The Joy Robbers.

These are the folks who simply are out to steal your joy. If something good is happening in your life they want you to feel guilty about it. If you’ve been blessed with a promotion they want to bring you down a few notches. If you succeed, they hope for you to fail. On and on the joy robbers work night and day hoping for your demise.

What’s terrible is that there are even Christians who secretly enjoy watching a big spiritual leader in the church or on television get his “come-uppance” when he fails morally. This is wrong and there should not be a single Christian in this church who hopes for someone to fail in any way- unless it’s the devil.

3) The Joy Takers.

These people are the ones who cannot generate any joy on their own so they depend on others to make them happy. In this world there are givers and takers and joy is no different. The takers never get enough of anything to make them happy. They take and take but rarely give.

Joy takers are a frustrating lot. They pretend to want to grow in the Lord but don’t want to develop the spiritual disciplines necessary to grow. They pretend to care about the things of God but don’t want to invest themselves or their resources to see the kingdom of God or other people grow.

4) The Joy Givers.

These are the people who sacrificially give to others. They look for ways to make people happy- even to a fault. They give up their time for the church ministry, they find ways to serve God and others and they don’t keep tabs on how much they have given. Their only goal is to give joy to other people.

This group can also suffer the most depression. You see, they give and give but are hard pressed to receive. They are easily abused and misused because they are by nature givers and not takers. And so the takers love to team up with the givers.

5) The Joy Reservoirs.

These are the ones who are filled with God’s joy. They know the joy of full salvation, they find joy in the word of God and they live with this inexpressible and glorious joy that fills them by the Holy Spirit.

As we look into the scripture text I want us to notice a few things that I hope will encourage you and help you to have a joyful experience.

1. The Angel’s Announcement.

(The Angel of the Lord appears.)

a. Angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord was no shy young girl given the part in a Sunday School play. This was a magnificent angel that caused the shepherds to fear for their lives! This angel represented all that is holy of God and these shepherds recognized right away that they are not worthy of God’s presence. It kind of reminds me of Isaiah

b. Message of joy. This was for ALL people- not just the privileged classes and religious folks. Everyone was to receive this message. The Messiah, the king of the Jews was to be born in the city of David. This message of joy has no boundaries and is a gift to you and me.

This message is priceless to us. Without this message we would be lost in our sins and sinfulness. Without this message there would be no hope of deliverance from deadly evil.

c. God’s presence. The glory that shone around them was likely this “shekiniah” that the Old Testament speaks of from time to time. It is a “visible token of the presence of the eternal.” This same glory was present in the burning bush, as a guide for the Israelites in the wilderness, when Jesus went up to the Mount of Transfiguration and what shone down on the Pharisee Saul as he headed toward Damascus to persecute more Christians. [Pulpit Commentary]

2. The Shepherds Response.

Why were the shepherds the first ones chosen to receive this “good news of great joy”? Quite likely it was God’s way of saying that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Mary’s Song in Luke one tells of how God will bring “down the rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” (Luke 1:52) During those days shepherds were held in low esteem among people. According to scholars, the Talmud speaks of people such as shepherds who were not to be allowed in courts as witnesses.

They were poor, rejected and, in essence, homeless.

a. They lived in the fields. In a sense, they had no home except where there was a place to feed the sheep. Shepherds were considered the poorest of the poor even though a lot of what they did provided the means of worship for so many people through sacrifices. It seems so fitting that the birth of the Lamb of God would be witnessed by shepherds.

b. They feared for their lives. These guys were tough guys. They had to be brave in order to face the enemies of the sheep. There were wolves, there was the weather and there were thieves. These guys were not wooses; these guys were brave men and boys. And yet when they saw the spectacular and the supernatural they feared that they were dead men. The terror they experienced was a result of being in the very presence of those from another world.

c. They heard the “good news of great joy.” Wow! What a blessing for them to be hearers of the word of God from the angel of the Lord. The announcement by the angel must have electrified their minds and hearts! I couldn’t imagine what that would be like to hear a message such as this.

d. “They hurried off.” There response was not to go back into their tents and turn on the television or get back to whatever they were doing. Their response was to hurry off to find

e. “They found the baby.” There he was the babe lying in a manger just as the angel told them they would find. I wonder how many who are truly seeking for something real, seeking truth, seeking a new life- regardless of where they are born or what class they belong to- find the Christ-child. This baby was born for those who are seeking salvation from the sinfulness and restlessness of their own soul.

f. “They spread the word.” This was the result of what they found. When they found everything as the angel said, they then shared their experience. Luke records that Mary took all of this in and pondered them in her heart. Their testimony confirmed to her more than anything the uniqueness of this birth and the newborn baby.

g. “They glorified God.” These guys could not contain themselves. And so it makes me wonder about us: how can we contain ourselves when we are in the presence of God. How can we keep silent about our Christ experience? I have a hard time with this when the world needs to see Christians rejoicing. Have we lost our joy somehow?

So how do we get back our mojo when it comes to our Christian faith? Perhaps we could learn a lesson from these guys:

3. “Let’s go and see.”

The shepherd’s leave for us an example of what our response should be when we hear the good news of great joy and that is “let’s go and see.”

In our day and age of skepticism, too many hear the good news of great joy but never seek out the subject matter. They choose to not look for the Christ child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

But when some poor wanderer does heed the message and goes and sees for himself or herself they discover something that changes their lives forever.

a) New life through Jesus Christ.

They found the message of the angel of the Lord to be true. There was Mary and Joseph, but most importantly there was the baby lying in the manger. It says here, “when they had seen him.” This indicates that they saw with their own eyes the very subject matter of which the angel of the Lord had spoken to them.

And that is my prayer for those who do not know Jesus. I pray that you would see him with spiritual eyes and come to know the true joy that comes only through him.

b) They shared the good news of great joy with others.

When they saw Jesus they could not contain themselves. The message that was told to them they now told to those gathered around the manger. There seems to have been others who have arrived to the scene. (Is it possible that others were called by God in various ways to be there for this occasion? I think it’s possible. Maybe the drummer boy was there after all!)

c) They left glorifying and praising God.

We last see the shepherds heading back to the country hillsides to resume their work. We never hear from them again. We don’t know what happen to them. But what we see of them as they pass into the dawn of a new day for humanity are men who are profoundly changed. They cannot help themselves but to glorify and praise God all the way back to work.

This kind of message that is confirmed in our hearts by the witness of the Holy Spirit should cause our hearts to practically burst with praise and worship and glorifies God.

CONCLUSION: RESTORE THE JOY.

So how can you enjoy the joy of Christ being born- not only in a stable but in your heart- this day, throughout this Christmas holiday and into all of next year?

I like what King David recognized in Psalm 51:12. In spite of his sin and the broken heart he experienced because of his wrong-doing, he understood that to move on he needed something just as important as forgiveness: he needed the joy of salvation.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.”

God’s people should be differentiated from the world because of the joy in their lives.

1) True joy comes from God.

You can have real joy in your life today in spite of the snarling traffic in the aisles at Meijer or Walmart or while digging yourself out of a ditch coming home from a long day of work. You can have real joy in your life not because you discipline yourself to be happy but because God has increased your joy.

Get this: Jesus speaks of the joy of God himself and all of heaven when one sinner repents. Think about that for a moment. When you came to Christ for forgiveness of sins and salvation there was joy in heaven. Even now, when you confess your waywardness, your lack of faith and put further trust in God, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that all of heaven rejoices.

2) You respond to God’s saving grace with joy.

When God does saves you, sanctifies you, walks with you, sees you through difficulty, helps you in the hard times- you can’t help yourself but have joy even in the pain.

3) You live your life with joy.

Yes, there is a certain level of spiritual discipline that you have to put into place to enjoy the joy of the Lord. This is that “willing spirit” that King David speaks of. It means wrapping your mind around the concept that “I’m not going to let the devil, other people, circumstances or even me steal my joy in the Lord.” It’s realizing that you are somebody in Christ Jesus and because you are somebody in Christ Jesus you have the joy of the Lord as your strength.

4) You share this joy with others.

There is something about joyful people: they are fun to be around. They don’t walk around with a “woe is me” attitude but they ooze with the love of God and the joy of their walk with him. People like that seem to be graceful towards others, love even the meanest of people and always have something good to say about God, others and themselves.

These shepherds not only heard the good news of great joy but they went to the place where Jesus laid in a manger. They saw God with their own eyes. And when they shared with the others, God did something in their heart.

And the same should be true for us. Do you want to experience this kind of joy? Then come and see the Christ child lying in a manger. Do you want to have that inexpressible and glorious joy in your life that makes you happier and gives you something greater to live for? Then come and see the Christ child lying in a manger.

Closing Hymn #191- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

2nd Sunday of Advent- Putting CHRIST Back into CHRISTmas

Have you ever found yourself out of town with no place to sleep?

During my college years I was travelling with another student, Connie Bundy, back to Hobe Sound, Florida at the end of Christmas break. She had a grocery-getter station wagon and her folks had asked if I wouldn’t mind riding down with her (they didn’t want her going to Florida alone). And so I did. The plan was to marathon drive all the way (which was the way we operated in our college days) some 30 hours or so.

When we came into Tennessee she felt like the brakes were going out on the car. So we pulled into a restaurant so she could call back home. After a couple of telephone calls back, we were told to wait for someone to come and get us. It became obvious that we were not going to make it to Hobe Sound that night- which was the plan.

A fellow showed up and we followed his Volkswagon off into the boondocks of the east Tennessee mountains; to where, I didn’t know and would never be able to find my way back if I tried. The people of one of those mountain holiness churches had a mechanic who fixed the car, a family that housed us for the night and a dinner of roasted rabbits the next day. I ended up spending the night in an attic bedroom- freezing half to death but a place to lay my head down. We were safely back on the road afterwards and into Hobe Sound in time for classes to begin.

In our time of distress there were God’s people who came to the rescue of a couple of out-of-town and broke college students.

I think of that young couple trudging their way to Bethlehem, arriving late in the evening and finding no room in the inn.

Did they have family there that would house them? Didn’t they have previous arrangements for housing and such when they arrived? Relatives? Friends? At least someone who knew them?

Did they figure to find godly people there who would take pity on them?
Was there not room because they had no money?

Or were they rejected when these folks found out that Mary was a unwedded pregnant woman travelling with a man that was not her husband- yet.

I find it amazing that the innkeeper (and let’s be careful not to beat up on the poor guy) didn’t see the sense of urgency, couldn’t muster up the desire but still held a little bit of compassion. He offers them a stable out back with the animals. At least they had a cover for their heads.

But we cannot ignore the truth that seeps from this story: There is no room for Jesus. And not much is different today.

There is a constant sense throughout the ages that Christmas is becoming “Christ-less.” We have seen our share of issues about Christmas that has proved to too many of us Christians that there seems to be a deliberate move to remove Christ from Christmas.

Removal of Nativity Scenes from public display.

Adding other religions to Nativity Scenes in public displays.

No mention of Jesus in popular movies and books about Christmas. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a prime example. Consider also “The Golden Compass” and “Polar Express” as examples that offer a feel good sense about being good but nothing- no iota- about Christ in Christmas.

So what are we to do?

Let’s not be surprised. The very first Christmas tells of an innkeeper who had no room for Joseph and Mary on that night. They find a stable instead where the Christ child is born.

Our scripture text points us to the inn and the innkeeper. Here on a busy night when there is no more room in the inn, the innkeeper points them to a literal hole in the ground: a cave that has been fashioned into a stable. Here, the virgin Mary gives birth to a son and they call him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

This is a significant scene. The Incarnation of the eternal Word is taking place. God is making his dwelling among mankind. GOD BECAME MAN. The savior of the world has arrived to rescue all of humanity from itself.

And what is ironic is that even though the world is saddled with the forced peace of the Roman Empire’s iron fist, there is no real peace in the hearts of people.
And even today, people all around us deal with the frustration of strained marriages, broken homes, sinful behaviors and the like and do not know what real peace is.

There is a whole controversy every year about whether a business should tell us “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”; if the tree we buy is a “Christmas Tree” or a “Holiday Tree”; or if a government- local, state or national- should allow displays for Christmas, Hannukah, Ramadan, Kwanza or none of them.

Now I am very once sided on this issue: I appreciate a cashier saying “Merry Christmas” to me because it means something to me. I plan to put together my “Christmas tree” this week because we have gotten tired of slugging through knee deep snow to cut down a “tree”- by whatever name you choose. And we will send out “Christmas cards” and not “holiday cards.” I am a Christian. I believer whole-heartedly in Christmas but more importantly I believe firmly in what Christmas is supposed to stand for: Jesus coming into the world not “to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)

Here we are as Christians: we wring our hands about putting Christ in Christmas out in the public arena when perhaps we need to concern ourselves about putting Christ into Christmas in our private world.

The point that I want to draw your attention towards is how you can make Christ a priority not only this Christmas but for your whole life.

There seems to be three basic ways people approach Christmas:

1. The Problem of No Vacancy.

It’s sad but too many people find that there just isn’t room in their lives for Jesus. They’ve got their clubs, lodges, organizations, careers, friends, family and everything else. Jesus is not on their agenda and likely will never be on their agenda.

These folks hear the songs at the store, see the displays that say “Merry Christmas” but never really care why. They probably exchange gifts at the company party and with family but never really give a hoot about what this all means?
Why? Three possibilities and I don’t mention these to be cruel but just to be honest.

a. Some just don’t see Jesus.

They really don’t. You can’t really blame them but it’s pretty hard for some to see Jesus when their co-worker who claims to know Jesus loses his temper and curses at work like the other guys. It’s pretty hard for some to see Jesus when their co-worker is looking at porn or telling dirty jokes and being “one of the guys.”
And so they really see nothing that they need of Jesus. After all, He really doesn’t seem to be making much of difference in the Christians he sees everyday.

b. Some don’t care to see Jesus.

Some have been hurt by God.

What? God doesn’t hurt people.

Well, tell that to someone whose 9 year old daughter had died of leukemia. All their lives they go to confession, Mass and give their money to the parish. And then their daughter dies and their faith becomes crushed and they struggle for answers. Now, every year they have a literal birthday party at her grave. But they don’t care to see Jesus anymore.

Tragedies hit people all of the time. Spouses are unfaithful and a marriage is destroyed; a robber enters a home and kills someone; disease, sickness and sin riddles humanity I’m so sorry that you and others have been immensely hurt by the imperfections of humanity. I wish you could see Jesus in a real way. I pray that people like this will once again care to see Jesus.

c. Some don’t want to see Jesus.

There are those who deliberately reject the idea, the notion, the concept and even the fact of Jesus as God, Jesus as Savior and certainly Jesus as Lord. They are not confused, bemused or amused about Christmas, Christ in Christmas or Christ himself.
And so they live their lives the way they see fit. I’m not here to throw stones at deliberate unbelievers. I’m not going to be one of those who make gigantic accusations and curse people to hell. I’m just stating the facts and these folks would totally agree with me and not be offended that they are mentioned in this sermon.

So if there are those who have no room for Jesus in their lives what about the rest of us who claim to have room for Jesus?

2. The Dilemma of Busy Lifestyles.

People are busy. We’re all busy. And so the question that begs to be asked is this: what are we busy with? I’m not going to bash being busy but I must say that we can busy ourselves into weakness as Christians.

I’m really busy with…

my job
my family
my friends
my hobbies
everything else

With a full inn the innkeeper was obviously a busy man. Perhaps he could have made room for Jesus but he was distracted by the overrun motel he was trying to operate. Maybe if he had given a little more effort room might have been found. Or perhaps he could have surrendered his residence for someone else.

When we are too busy for Jesus then we squeeze him more and more out of our lives. But what troubles me more than the busy-ness of our lives as Christians is something that we don’t want to speak of that I wonder if is really the issue:

3. The Hindrance of a Slumbering Spirit.

I know what to do, I know how to do it, I know everything about it but I am just too lazy to get up and answer the door and let Jesus into my heart. As Christians we would decry such an attitude and do when we see others reacting to the call of salvation.

But what about us? What about a slumbering spirit that is pervading too much of the Church in today’s world? Why is it that so many people who claim Christ as Savior and Lord seem to be afflicted with a lack of motivation to succeed as a Christian?
I heard a speaker once say: “Christians are really practicing agnostics.” While we have our ticket punched for heaven- at least we think we do- we are not on the train that leads to heaven. We’ve allowed too many things- like so many unbelievers- to keep us from being the Christ-followers that we claim to be and the kind of Christ-followers that Jesus has called upon to change the world.

What might these things be?

a. The Secret Agent Christian.

This is the person who claims Christ as Lord and Savior of their life but keeps very quiet about it. Their faith is a very private matter. In fact, it’s so private that you would think the person was an agnostic or an atheist!


b. Virtual Christianity.

Have you ever been to one of those 360 degree movies? They are awesome.
As a teenager we went to Florida and visited Lion Country Safari. One of the exhibits they had was a virtual reality movie. This is a wee bit different from 3-D but close.


You stand in the room and you think you are riding in a fire truck. As you take twists and curves you really do feel like you are twisting and turning with the truck. You can feel the vibration, see the lights flashing off windows and buildings, hear the sirens blaring louder and louder, and you sense all the reactions you would normally sense riding in a real fire truck. You look in front of you and you see where you are going. You look beside you and see things as you pass. You look behind you and see things become more distant. And then, as we took turned a corner a woman pushing a baby stroller stepped out in front of the truck. I almost had a heart attack.

We left and exhausted and laughing. My brother Tim actually fell on the floor a couple of times! Wow, what a rush. That was awesome. Now what’s next?

Is this what you feel like when you come to church? Get through the ride but then on to something else? Is this how any of us practice Christianity? We know what to do and how to do it but we are simply too slothful to do it. And so we want someone else- or something else- to be holy for us in our place while we simply enjoy the ride.

c. Keeping Appearances.

Too many get caught up in just keeping an image of what a Christian is but it really isn’t in their heart. But they must keep up appearances.

There’s a PBS show that is called “Keeping Appearances.” It features a lady whose last name is “Bucket” but she pronounces it “Boo-kay”- so that people think they are French. Everything she connives to do all has to do with putting on airs or looking the part but not actually being the part.

Let’s be honest: most people put on some kind of appearance. I understand that and good manners call for that. If someone offends you, just because you feel like hauling off and socking the dude in the nose, you don’t because good manners and staying out of jail calls for you to hold your temper.

What I’m talking about is just making the appearance of Christ in your life but in the background there is a whole lot of other systems operating that are not Christ like.

d. Form of Godliness.

These are the dangerous Christian people who claim to be saved, claim to be sanctified and yet they are lovers of themselves and the pleasures of the world. And in between they are riddled with all kinds of sinfulness. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:5 that they have a form of godliness but deny its power.

I am very concerned about anyone who claims Christ but then lives for the pleasures and joys of this world.

Yes, I love Kentucky basketball and many other sports teams but not more than Jesus.
I love deer hunting but not more than Jesus.

I love having a car that gets down road but not more than Jesus.

I love the house I live in- it seems like a mansion compared to many other places that I have lived- but not more than Jesus.

I love getting a paycheck for my duties as your pastor. But I don’t love money more than Jesus.

I love my wife and children and grandchildren dearly but not more than Jesus.

CONCLUSION- Putting CHRIST back into CHRISTian.

I am convinced that we become much too agitated over the secular world’s reaction to Christ in Christmas, calling it a “holiday” tree instead of a Christmas tree and the nativity scenes. First, how can we as a Shelby Wesleyan Church complain about public nativities when we don’t have one out front on our own property? (I would love to see us invest some money for that- but I know we have other priorities.)

Let’s not worry about getting CHRIST back into CHRISTmas until we get CHRIST back into CHRISTian.

And it starts with me looking into the mirror and asking: Is there room in my inn for Jesus?

Jesus does not merely want to take up a room to be born again in my life but he wants to leave the nursery and take over my whole person.

So what is my responsibility for putting Christ back into Christian?

To follow Christ and be the kind of Christian that God calls you to is going to require hard choices. At every level of spiritual growth there will be choices to make. Some of these choices will be obvious ones. But what do you do when God calls you to give up something important even though it is hurting no one? What do you do when God calls you to put something else that seems less important to a new level of importance?

Remember there are good choices and bad choices. AND there are good choices and better choices.

Put Jesus on every list.

I am sure just about every one has a “to-do” list somewhere in their lives. You may not necessarily write it down but you have one. Breath, eat and sleep might be your to-do list. Whatever list you have be sure to have Jesus at the top of the list. Make Jesus a top priority in your life. Begin with daily devotions and prayer. If you’re a night owl, then the night before Jesus goes first.

How about my Christmas list? I strive to make sure that as I purchased a Vidalia Onion Slicer™ for Naomi that this wasn’t just a number on my to-do list. I purchased it with the love of Christ that fills my heart for my wife. And with each gift- I’ve already selected a few things for a couple of LBA members- I do so with Jesus’ love for them. Will they feel that love? I hope so. I hope no one feels like I’m giving to them out of obligation but out of the love of Christ for me, for them and that fills my life.

Make Jesus your co-worker.

This is easy for me- at least it better be! Jesus is my co-worker. But actually long before ministry I learned to strive to make Jesus my business partner. You need to have Jesus go to work with you. What would you do differently if you had Jesus beside you?

The sad thing that makes me angry is when I hear people speak of those “Christian” co-workers who are anything but Christian. You be the Christian co-worker who lives for Christ out of love for Christ. You be the Christian co-worker who brings Christ into your workplace as your co-worker. Let Christ work his love through you in any endeavor that you perform.

“He must become greater, I must become less.” John 3:30

John the Baptist had it right when his own disciples came to him and pointed out how others were following Christ. He simply stated: “He must become greater, I must become less.”

This must be the heart-cry of every Christian who loves God and loves others with the sacrificial love of Christ. We must be sure that Jesus becomes greater in our lives and our “self”- that selfish inclination that wants to hog the glory- becomes less and less.

What is it that God is calling on you surrender to him this morning? What thing, issue, relationship is there that is crowding out so much of your life that you have no room for Jesus?

1st Sunday of Advent 2009-What Are You Afraid of?

What are you afraid of? Or do you have a Phobo-phobia- fear of phobias?
1. Alto-phobia- fear of heights.
2. Api-phobia- fear of bees
3. Arachno-phobia- fear of spiders.
4. Aviophobia or Aviatophobia- Fear of flying.
5. Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces.
6. Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns.
7. Decidophobia- Fear of making decisions.
8. Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.
9. Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.
10. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia- fear of the number 666.
11. Homilo-phobia- fear of sermons.
12. Ecclesiophobia- Fear of church.
13. Hadephobia- Fear of hell.
14. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words.
15. Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother.
16. Peccatophobia- Fear of sinning or imaginary crimes.
17. Peladophobia- Fear of bald people.
18. Theophobia- Fear of gods or religion.
19. Eisoptrophobia- Mirrors or seeing oneself in a mirror.
20. Ablutophobia- Bathing.

Now I cannot be exhaustive but perhaps you have a fear that I did not list. The reality for everyone here is that we all fear something in life- whether we want to accept this or not.

We find in our Scripture passage that King Herod, upon hearing the news that a baby king has been born, is filled with fear. And he then sets off a series of decisions that results in the deaths of numerous young boys- all because a king was afraid of a baby. He suffered from “pedo-phobia.”

Scientists will tell you that there are 3 components to a phobia, 1) the experience of fear, 2) physiological responses (sweating, heart-rate etc.), 3) motor responses (immobilization or flight). However there is little agreement as to where the phobias come from.

Everyone will fear something. There is general agreement that many people seem to inherit at least a predisposition towards experiencing any kind of phobia. For some reason you may be afraid of something and it is a fear that has just come natural to you.

Sometimes a fear can be conditioned into people. If you fall off of a roof you will develop a healthy respect for heights. Fall off a roof a few times and you might become fearful of heights.

But we’re talking theories here.

But one thing that is not a theory is how often people will fear Christ and the subject of Christ. We can talk about God, Allah, Creator and any other name we ascribe to a deity and yet bring up Jesus Christ and the conversation will stall. There is something about Jesus that creates issues for some folks.

1. Herod’s Fear of the Christ-child.

He was not a rightful king.

He was a puppet of Rome.

He was ruthless.

2. Jesus’ Inconvenient Birth.

The scriptures tell us that Jesus came into the world at just the right time. (Romans 5:5) However, to King Herod Jesus’ birth was a very inconvenient event.

a. Jesus was not convenient for Mary.

She had her character brought into question with her family and with the man she was engaged to.

b. Jesus was not convenient for Joseph.

He had a status to maintain among his friends and the community.

c. Jesus was not convenient for the Shepherds.

They had the sheep to guard from predators. Can you imagine leaving in the middle of your shift to go see a newborn king. What kind of excuse do you think that would be to your boss man?
d. Jesus was not convenient for King Herod.

He had a kingdom to safeguard from enemies. If he failed the wrath of Rome would come down on him.

e. Jesus was not convenient for Jerusalem.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem they questioned Herod and verse 3 says that Herod was disturbed by the news that a new king had been born. Perhaps Jerusalem was fearful that the wrath of Rome would not only come down on Herod but they would be oppressed once again?

f. Jesus was not convenient for the Wise Men.

These guys had to travel a 1000 miles to find the Christ child. This was no easy task- or cheap travel. They had no special rates for flying Southwest or any other airline. Come to think of it, there were no air travel options!

In nearly every circumstance, the coming of Christ was a very inconvenient event. For each person involved they had to choose to do something that was inconvenient to their lives and circumstances.

And that seems to be the way Jesus operates. He is never- at least so it seems- convenient for any of us. Now when I look back at various turning points of my life I find that Jesus is always right on time. But when I have my own interests and plans I have found that His ways and thoughts and plans are different from mine and very inconvenient to me.

Something else I want us to take note of is the example of the Magi in their search for Jesus.

3. The Magi Search for Jesus.

Have you ever been so hungry and desirous of something that you would do anything- or almost anything- to get what you wanted?

How about truth? How about peace? How about a relationship with God?

These Magi from the east travelled at their expense to find the Christ-child. And when they did they offered gifts- gold, myrrh and frankincense.

My question is how did these wise men know that the star belonged to Jesus? What made them connect the coming of the king of the Jews with the star? What made this star different from the other incidences of special stars from this one? What would incline them to worship him when they found him?

Whatever the answers, we do know that they came into Jerusalem looking for the Christ-child.

a. They were over-joyed when they found Jesus.

I remember where I became a Christian- the joy was incredible. To know that my sins were forgiven and that my heart was clean made me feel good. I remember standing near the fire-barrel that night knowing that my life was finally different. I was overjoyed.

And I still am. Even in the darkest times my heart is filled with joy in spite of the sorrows and troubles. To just know Jesus is enough and should be enough to fill our hearts with joy.

b. They paid homage to Jesus.

They were prepared to worship the newborn king. This had to unnerve Kind Herod to have these high affluent individuals to arrive to Jerusalem, enter his presence but not offer homage to him but to some baby born somewhere else in his kingdom.

These Magi were more than smart- they were obviously filled with wisdom to have such an attitude. They wanted to find Jesus so that they could worship him.

Why do you want to find Jesus? Do you look for Jesus so you can worship him or do look for the benefits that perhaps knowing Jesus might bring you?

c. They presented gifts to Jesus.

They came with offerings that brought respect to Jesus. Their intent was to treat him as the king he was. Jesus was not born to become king; he was born a king. He was born to rule over our hearts to such a point that even the most expensive and most meaningful thing in all of the world means nothing to us in comparison to knowing Christ.

What is your response when you encounter Jesus? The Magi didn’t fear him but went in search of him. Herod feared him and avoided looking for him. What about you?

Conclusion- There is a choice to be made.

Lots of people become paralyzed with fear to a point that they cannot make a choice-even if it is to save their lives. And this includes people who are fearful of what Christ wants to do in their hearts and lives.

Maybe you are here this morning struggling with this concept: What does Jesus have to do with me?

 Receiving Christ into your life.
Some worry that their life will become different if they become a Christian.

On one hand, no- you are still who you are. Your name will stay the same, your home, your likes and dislikes will probably remain. But your heart is different.

Yes, there is change in your life as you seek the forgiveness of the sins that you have committed. You begin becoming different. But don’t worry, God is a loving and compassionate God who will give you the Holy Spirit to help you with each new day and to deal with the changes that will happen in your life. You will never regret choosing to become a Christian.

 Selling out completely for Christ.

This is where you give up something, someone and yourself to follow Christ. These things may not be necessarily sinful or wrong or negative. But God calls on you to surrender yourself and all of your interests to Him.

This can be a fearful thing. When we give up those things we hold dear to our Lord, there is a fearfulness in doing so. On one hand, we are fearful in obedience to God because we know we have to be obedient to him. On the other hand, we are fearful that we will lose and lose big. But when you give up your interests to Christ he has a way of making your life better and happier for it.

 Buying in to Christ’s Plans and Purpose for your life.

This is the most difficult for a Christian. A good basketball coach will push his players to surrender their interests for the coach’s way of doing things and yet never really believe the coach is right. But if you look at the successful team- in any sport- it is usually the team that has not only sold out to their coach but have bought in to the way he wants them to play.

I am convinced that the same concept is true for every Christian. When I sell out- that is actually the easy part. I can still begrudgingly do what my Lord wants and go with without those things that my Lord wants me to do without. But to buy in to His plan and purpose for my life- well that takes a true commitment to Christ.

But here’s the thing, despite the fearfulness of buying into God’s plan and purpose for my life, I discover a power of the Holy Spirit that I have never had before. I begin to see life differently and live life more exuberantly.

What about you? Where do you stand on this day before our Lord? Are you fearful of the next step that He is calling you to?

You need not be afraid. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to choose wisely this day.

You will be glad forever that you did.