Christmas is a most blessed time of year. Family, loved ones....we are all very blessed. Some of us though, may struggle a little at this time. If you have lost someone very dear to you, or yearn for past memories of Christmas, it can be a time of testing. It can be a time of loneliness. Have you ever felt like you were all alone, even when you were surrounded by people? It is a great comfort to know that Jesus will "sup" with us. He says in MAT 28:20....lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. That means that wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, He is there. In my emptiest moments, He comforts me. What a Saviour!
I have a duty, though. I have to open the door, don’t I? So how can we be sure that we answer the door when Jesus is knocking? Have you ever been at home doing something, staying busy...mind set on your task at hand....and not heard the doorbell? So caught up in our activities that we can’t hear the knock or recognize our Master’s desire to commune with us. Believe me, we all need that communion time! When we "sup" with Jesus, we can spend less time looking down and more time looking up...cause that’s where our help comes from. PS 121:1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. My help comes from the Master of the universe, from the maker of all, and you just can’t get any better than that!
Let me ask you something else. Have you ever been waiting on someone to come see you, and it seemed like it took forever? You say "where have you been, it’s been so long!" They say "it’s only been a short time. It’s OK, I’m here now." Maybe you are waiting for someone to come so you can go somewhere, or before you can start whatever it is you are going to do. You may be at their mercy or their timing. God’s timing is always right because He is always there. HEB 13:5...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. David talks about it in PS 40:1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: We used to sing a song about it!
So what must we do to open that door? I think the answer is found in ACTS 3:19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: That’s pretty simple, huh? Repent...be converted (that means changed!), then your sins will be blotted out and you will be refreshed. Refreshed how? From the presence of the Lord! VS 20 says then He will send....Jesus! After all, you wouldn’t want to open your door to someone you cared about unless you had cleaned your house first. When there is true repentance, the power of rebellion is broken and replaced by the love Jesus spoke of in JOH 14:23, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." If you keep His words, you are inviting Jesus to come and sup with you. Don’t we all desire that? Spending time with Jesus and supping with Him is.....heavenly!
There are times when we are all going to feel broken....that’s a natural reaction to adversity. And that’s just what God does best...PS 51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. He doesn’t despise you for being down....He knows that we will experience these feelings...after all, He gave us the ability to feel. I’m sure He knows what it feels like since He made feelings. Some will say, "Pastor, we are always supposed to be in a great mood and not get down....if we are feeling down, then we must not be close to God"! It’s not a sin to feel down...but it is if you stay down and defeated. I want to show you something....
EPH 2:4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. We "sit together in heavenly places"....once we realize that, we won’t stay down for long, will we? God shows His kindness to us through Christ Jesus. Don’t you want to sup with Him?
Here’s something else..our text says, "I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Did you know that when we sup with Christ’s loved ones, we are supping with Christ? Why go to church? There are many reasons, but here is one more. When we gather here and praise God with one another, we are enjoying those "times of refreshment" that the scriptures talk about. We are supping with the Master!
I want to show you one more way to sup with Him. MAT 25:37"Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40"The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Some call this spirit the spirit of Christmas. I can shorten it down to the Spirit of Christ.
This is a wonderful time of year. People are laughing, cheerful, and giving. Being unselfish, thinking of others. Kinda like the kingdom a little, huh? I would exhort all of us...keep this spirit inside you year round. Don’t let it vanish whenever Christmas is over. It is our duty as followers of Christ to continue in His Spirit year-round. Open the door of your heart by repentance and surely He will guide you and sup with you...even unto the end!
