Sermon at St John’s Parish Church, West Grimstead - Morning Worship on Christmas Day Church, Farley – Morning Worship – Monday 25th December 2023 (Inspired by a Daily Devotional by Susan Larson).
Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20
May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit and may the words which I speak be a blessing to all who hear them.
Amen.
Are you
all prepared for today’s celebration? Turkey in the oven, potatoes and brussels
pealed, presents opened already or under the tree waiting to be unwrapped?
Prosecco in the fridge chilling? Do you
know what films you will be watching after the King’s Speech or games you will
be playing?
Christmas
is a time of great joy, expectancy and celebration. Yet, all too often, we lose
ourselves in the preparations and miss the sacredness of the season. Why does
it matter? Because it’s this holiday on which we honour the birth of our Saviour.
It’s this time of year when people are open to the things of God. And it’s
precisely this season when Christians most often lose sight of what’s available
to them in Christ Jesus.
We are
people created in God’s image. We have access to his presence and his promises.
So why all the strain and stress? Dare we ask ourselves what honestly matters
most to us this Christmas?
God invites
us to push away the clutter, turn down the noise and offer him the sacred space
in our lives so that the King of Glory may enter, take up residence and
radically change us from the inside out. We can race through our holiday season
more stressed than blessed or we
can slow down, ponder the reality of Christ within
us, and respond to his miraculous work.
So why not step out of the hustle-bustle of the
season. Find a quiet place during this busy time to rest and reflect. What comes to the
surface for you? How have the disappointments and detours of this past year
impacted you? Are you mad? Sad? Expectant and glad? Most of us tend to loosen
our grip when we lose heart, yet this is precisely the time to lean in, engage
our faith and dare to believe that our Saviour is also a healer.
The king
of the universe is not a tyrannical leader. He’s the saviour of the world. Although
we hear the Christmas story every year, again and again, it isn’t old news.
It’s good news. It’s now news!
Salvation isn’t just an addendum to the end of our life and Christmas isn’t
just a quaint little story with shepherds and wise men coming to a stable in
Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, God’s kingdom came to earth! so we ought to celebrate
with joy. Give meaningful gifts to those you love. Enjoy a good party. But
refuse to let the commercialism of
Christmas quench
the true spirit of this earth-shaking holiday season. Jesus came, and he’s
coming again. Let us worship the king of glory, for he has done great things.
As we continue
in our journey following Advent season, may we remember that we live in a world
of overindulgence,
over-commitment, premature multiplication and shortcuts. And shortcuts almost
always lead to compromise. What if we did something otherworldly this season?
What if we slowed our pace and
reduced our intake?
What if we took in the sights, the scents and decided to be fully present? What
if we gave God time and space to speak to us about our needs, our hopes and his
intentions toward us?
Giving
gifts to the already rich is, well, fine. But offering gifts to those who
cannot repay you is sacred. In the period between Christmas and New Year why
not give generously and thoughtfully to someone who doesn’t expect a gift from
you. Perhaps somebody who hasn’t been kind to you during the year? Surprise
them with the goodness of God. Scripture reminds us that he’s good to everyone and by doing this
you are really showing God’s grace in action.
When we
set out to be a serious follower of Christ, we’ll often find a thousand excuses
to tend to temporary things as though they’re the most important things in the
world. But eternal rewards come from eternal priorities. We need to think
higher, see deeper. Repeatedly, Jesus urged people to open their eyes and see
the coming kingdom. See the story God is writing on the earth through us because
of Jesus. Our current season is packed with eternal possibilities to do so.
We can and
should change our focus, determine our pace, adjust our priorities and this
could be our most life-giving Christmas yet. Whether we already walk intimately
with Jesus or see him more like a distant relative, we can be assured that he’s
very near and that he came to redeem every aspect of who we are. That was the
greatest gift ever given at Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ, God
Incarnated, in that humble stable in the Holy Land.
Now that is
really something to celebrate and reflect upon over these coming days.
Have a
great day, enjoy being with family and friends over this holiday period, and
yes do eat, drink and be merry in celebration but do use this time also to tell
somebody about the true meaning of Christmas and the wonderful good news which
is there for everyone and is the real reason for our celebrations.
A very
Happy Christmas to you all.
Amen
MFB/195/23122023
Susie
Larson (who inspired this sermon through a daily devotional piece written by
her) is a bestselling author, speaker and host of Susie Larson Live. She is the
author of more than 20 books and devotionals, and her Daily Blessings reach
over half a million people each week on social media. She and her husband,
Kevin, have three children, a growing bunch of grandchildren and a pit bull
named Memphis.
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