Christmas Eve 2020
Notes
Transcript
Opening Song
Opening Song
Advent
Advent
Prophecy / Hope
Prophecy / Hope
2020 could have blown out our Hope candle
Everything was more difficult
Eg: Work, school, grocery shopping, finding TP, eating out, gathering for worship, BD parties
Not just b/c of a virus: racial tensions, elections
Having hope was more difficult
Will I get the virus? Will someone I love die from it? How can I do my work? Will my kids really learn anything? Will churches divide over the tensions and disagreements COVID brings with it?
That candle could have been blown out by 2020
Prophecies about Christmas were given in the midst of difficult circumstances in order to bring hope
Difficult in Isa’s day (Isa 9:2, 7)
Sin, apostasy, Assyria is wiping out everyone in sight, the king is not listening to reason, and the people are not listening to Isaiah’s warnings
Isa 9:2, 7
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
Jesus was born in the midst of difficult circumstances in order to bring hope
Sin, apostasy, Roman occupation, weak religious leadership, injustice, the brash marketeering going on in the temple, poverty … and God hasn’t said much for over 400 years
And He brought hope with Him into the difficulties (Lk 1:78-79)
Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
God fanned the flame of Hope in 2020
2020 is just one of thousands of bad years in which Jesus is the Good News
I watched God bring Hope this year
Resilience of our youth & children; you adapting along with the changes we needed to make every step, reaching out to each other, stepping up in new ways for the same Gospel, proving that “church” is not a building or a Sunday morning event … and you did so with hope!
The gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church … and that gives me hope
[SONG}
Bethlehem / Peace
Bethlehem / Peace
2020 could have blown out our Peace candle
Is God really in charge? B/c if He’s not, we have no peace
Pandemic seems out of control; race riots seem out of control; political divisiveness and outright hatred seem out of control
Does God really know what He’s doing?
I see no purpose in this; how does this advance the Gospel?
With all that’s going on, does He even take note of our church among the 37m churches in the world?
That candle could have been blown out by 2020
God sovereignly chose Bethlehem, of all places, which in an odd way brings me Peace
God picked a perfectly average place for JC to be born (Mic 5.2)
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
That brings me peace - God’s got this; He can even use Nowheresville as the birthplace of the greatest Person ever born —> peace
God sovereignly chose a perfectly average people to be His church, which should bring us peace (1 Pe 2.9-10)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
God fanned the flame of Peace in 2020
In all this, our task never changed, even if some of our habits did
People still need JC (including us) - that hasn’t changed
No matter what happened in 2020 or will happen in 2021, we are still a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that we may proclaim His excellent attributes and deeds to others
That brings us peace - God’s got this
[SONG]
Angels / Joy
Angels / Joy
2020 could have blown out our Joy candle
We can’t even have normal birthday parties to celebrate our kids’ birthdays; just blowing out birthday candles could kill someone!
Earlier this year, I performed David and Alyssa’s wedding
in their home broadcast over Zoom - joyful, but there was still a breeze blowing trying to poof out the Joy candle
Instead of joy, danger of fear:
Fear RE: Our own health, can the church weather the pandemic?, how will this affect our children over the long term?
That candle could have been blown out by 2020
The angels pronounced Joy over fear
Joseph (Mt 1.20)
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
- get married!
Zech (Lk 1.13)
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
- have a son!
Mary (Lk 1.30)
Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- be pregnant and unmarried!
Sheps (Lk 2.10)
But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
- good news of great joy for everyone!
God fanned the flame of Joy in 2020
Joy for:
Being able to meet even if through a computer, reuniting back onsite, restarting Children’s Church; Awana kids
I saw it on your faces: online and even through your masks - masks can’t hide joy
The Good News of great joy for all people is: “Fear not! Jesus is Immanuel, God with us!”
[SONG]
Shepherds / Love
Shepherds / Love
2020 could have blown out our Love candle
We saw more of the ugly side of people
Literally ugly: Zoom: uncombed hair, not dressed like normal for church, living room kinda messy, have you showered in the last 2 days?
Figuratively ugly: Attitude: shorter tempers, more worry, more to complain about - can’t have a conversation that doesn’t include the word “COVID” … and we’re just tired
We saw more of the ugly side of ourselves
My faith isn’t as strong as I thought it was; my hope and peace and joy and love aren’t as secure as I thought they were
Our personal Filth was more apparent
That candle could have been blown out by 2020
God announced the news first to Shepherds despite their filth because He loves them, too
Let’s face it, being a shepherd is not a job where you come home tidy
Rather, the wives would nag them, “You take off those boots before you step foot in my house!”
This is who God sent the first birth announcement to - He must love them (Lk 2:11)
Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This Savior is “for you” = this is must be love!
He sent Jesus into our filth b/c He loves us (Jn 3:16)
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
God fanned the flame of Love in 2020
I saw love prevail over our ugly situation
That’s why I would join the online group during meet-and-greet
And even with uncombed hair and an imperfect living room in the background, what I saw was love, “It’s so great just to see your face and hear your voice,” “Your kids are getting so big!”
This must be love!
[SONG]
Christ / Light
Christ / Light
2020 could have blown out our Light
All the candles and the light they bring (hope, peace, joy, love)
Do I really believe Jesus is the answer and that He’ll really save me? Do I really believe He’s the Light of the world when it’s so dark?
I got so focused on just surviving that I forgot
to spend time with Jesus or think about my neighbors
That candle could have been blown out by 2020 - well, no … not really - that candle can never be blown out (Jn 1.5)
That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
The star of Christ shone brightly against an unlit sky
These wise men were in darkness * 2 (Mt 2.1-2)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
Professional star gazers, but not believers in the God of Israel
JC fulfills the Prophet Isa (Mt 4.16)
The people who live in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those living in the land of the shadow of death,
a light has dawned.
God fanned the flame of the Light in 2020
None of these candles went out, and in fact I see ways that they burne even brighter than a year ago
None more important than the Christ candle, the light of the world
Against the darkness of 2020, Jesus shines even brighter
2020 only shows that Christ is our only true light
Things like pandemics and neighbor fighting against neighbor only show:
Everyone’s need for Jesus
That the times described in Revelation are only getting closer
That by the end of Rev, sin and Satan and disease and hatred have been thrown into the pit of eternal fire and Jesus is sitting on the throne reigning over His glorious Kingdom
The flame never even flickered
Jesus is shining brighter for me now than He was a year ago, and I pray the same is true for you, too
[NOT song, yet!]
Candlelight
Candlelight
Instructions
[SONG]
Merry Christmas!
Full Video
Full Video