The Hope of Christmas

Heavenly Father, this is the season of being grateful. Thanksgiving was last Thursday, so it is natural for us to be revelling in the wake of <all of that>. But, let us take time out always to give thanks to the One who gave it all for us, so that we can be with Him for an eternity. Jesus came to give us hope! Amen!

Hope believes “YES” when circumstances say “NO”.

I want to be perfectly transparent with you today church. I received Pastor Jake’s text last Monday asking if I would consider filling in for him this morning. Normally, when I am asked to preach I am filled with joy at the prospect. However, when I received it, I was having a particularly bad day and found myself in a bad place, a dark place. I was going to say no. I just couldn’t think of facing you all today, with all of the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing at that time. I have had short periods like this before, but this was ALL DAY!

I decided not to reply right away. I slept on it. and when I arose on Tuesday morning, I read as part of my morning scripture reading.

Psalm 50:

Psalm 50:14–15 ESV

14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Praise God for that!

These verses hit me smack in the face and reminded me what the problem was. I had gotten away from His Word for almost a week! I meditated on these verses and prayed one of the longest prayers I have prayed in a very long time, glorifying God with each sentence! These verses reminded me that we are all in this together. We all go through rough patches. It’s these rough patches that prepare us for the rougher patches that lie ahead. They prepare us to lead others through them as well.

My circumstances were telling me to say no to being here today. What are your circumstances telling you today?

Are they telling you that the world is growing worse by the day? (newspapers, the evening news, Bloomberg).

So, it would be easy for us to say no to things because - we just don’t know what’s going to happen. In other words, we let our circumstances drive our decision making. It’s easy, isn’t it, to sink into that ‘stinkin’ thinkin’ and start having those ‘pity parties’. That’s when we begin to suffer from ‘PLOM disease’, where we start believing ‘poor little old me!’

But God...

Those are two of the most wonderful words ever spoken! They remind us that no matter the circumstances <any bad news you can think of>, God is there and will have the final Word.

Hope Believes “YES”

When all of our circumstances, everything we see in this world is screaming NO <gun violence, rape, legalized abortion, political scandals, constant war, religious persecution, cancer, Alzheimer's disease>

When we want to say how can a loving God allow such things? Why me Lord?

Just then, Hope enters the world in the form of a little child, in the form of the baby Jesus. Max Lucado says that

“Christmas is not Christmas unless / until you receive the message of Bethlehem.” - Max Lucado

Christmas reminds us how “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.”

The Bible tells us in the story of Advent that He is called Immanuel, meaning God with us.

Matthew 1:23 ESV

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

It doesn’t just say God made us or God thinks of us or God above us. It says GOD WITH US! God where we are: at the office, in our homes, on the road, on the plane. <can be a scary thought too, right, if we find ourselves somewhere we ought not be!> Jesus breathed our air and walked this earth. GOD WITH US!

“God is always near us; always for us; always in us. We may forget Him but God will never forget us!” - Max Lucado

Just remember church, Hope believes “YES” when your circumstances are screaming “NO”. That Hope is in Jesus Christ.

You see the manger dares us to believe that the best is yet to be. And it could all begin today! It doesn’t have to wait until tomorrow. Your new life of hope can begin today!

It all begins by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. If there is anyone here today that has not done that, someone is available to pray with you. Today is the day!

I saw a quote this week that sums it up: “I want to be so full of Christ that, if a mosquito bites me, he flies away singing THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD! I know that’s what I want!

I will close by quoting, maybe singing, if you’ll sing it with me, the chorus of the song “Nobody” by Casting Crowns:

I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about somebody who saved my soul. Ever since you rescued me, you gave my heart a song to sing. I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus! I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus! - Casting Crowns, Nobody

Jesus is the reason for the season and the reason for us to hope for the future!

Jesus is always the subject! AMEN!

Remember to always to keep Jesus the subject!