PORTAL POWER
Christmas Around The World—Part 4
Today we’re taking the last leg of our Christmas journey around the world. And our last stop is Germany.
The Christmas tree is an integral part of German Christmas celebrations. The Christmas tree actually originated in Germany. Cutting and displaying an evergreen tree is a custom that goes back many centuries. A green tree that never loses its leaves or needles was considered to be symbol of eternal life. Because Jesus came into our world to secure our eternal salvation and gift us with life everlasting, such a symbol seemed appropriate for Christians to embrace at Christmastime.
Long ago, Germans decorated the Christmas tree with white candles (obviously before the days of fire marshals and fire codes). The lit candles were an obvious reference to Jesus being the Light of the world.
A unique aspect of more modern German Christmas decorations is that, kids can not take part in the beautification of the Christmas tree. Hence, the Christmas tree is decorated on Christmas Eve, prior to the evening feast. The father usually keeps the children in a separate room while the mother brings out the Christmas tree from a hidden place and decorates it with apples, candy, nuts, cookies, cars, trains, angels, tinsel, family treasures and candles or lights. The gifts are kept under the tree. Nearby, beautiful plates are laid for each family member and filled with fruits, nuts, marzipan, chocolate and cookies. The decorations finished, a bell is rung as a signal for the children to enter the room. The Christmas story is usually read during this time and carols are sung. Often, sparklers are lit and gifts opened too.
Song: O Christmas Tree
Martin Luther was a German monk who spent his life seeking the portal to heaven. He had been taught that God’s grace could be earned or even purchased with money through what became known as selling indulgences.
He was told of Jacob’s dream and imagined an arduous climb filled with struggle and effort in order to gain God’s acceptance. Then after a lifetime of self-punishment, works and sacrifices hopefully he would accumulate enough good works to earn admission to heaven—climbing Jacob’s ladder.
Genesis 28:12 (NIV)
He [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
By far and away the best contribution to Christmas by Germans was the recovery of a sacred idea. An idea that originated in the heart of God, was passed on to his people, and ultimately materialized in the Gospel of Jesus. But over fifteen centuries of church history the sacred idea had faded and had become all but lost to the Christian church. The idea was—justification by faith.
Martin Luther read the bible for himself and discovered that the sacred idea was all over its pages. That faith in Jesus justified man—not religious works and rituals. He returned the sacred idea to the church and many reforms followed.
JESUS—THE PORTAL TO HEAVEN
John 1:51 (NIV)
"I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
This is a direct reference to Jacob’s dream. As the unique God-man, Jesus would be the ladder between heaven and earth. Jesus is indicating that this is precisely who he is. He is the portal. He is the entrance. He is the point of connection between heaven and earth. Jesus is Jacob’s dream in the flesh. Martin Luther embraced that idea. He was delighted to discover that the ladder that he had been struggling to climb all his life was really an escalator that would carry him to heaven.
When the newborn Jesus lay in the manger God was opening the portal to heaven. Are you going to open the portal?
In the Movie Narnia little Lucy stumbles upon a massive wardrobe while exploring her temporary home.
Roll Narnia Video Here (Lucy Opening the Door to the Wardrobe)
The story begins with one little girl opening a door and beginning a journey that lasts a lifetime in another world. If you’re going to begin the journey you have to open the door.
Do you long to go beyond this ordinary life, to find adventure in magical lands like Narnia? The quest is not to be taken lightly. You just may discover there is another Kingdom out there—closer than you realize, as near as your heartbeat, just through that door. Are you ready?
Perhaps you should ask yourself some questions as you approach the portal.
• Am I Searching? That’s a perfect place to begin. Some of you are here this morning because you are seeking, searching. You were drawn to Horizons because there’s something you’re looking for. Seekers are to be commended. The principle is this: God reveals Himself to those who are looking for Him.
If we are going to discover Christ this Christmas season we need to be looking for Him.
What’s holding up your search for Christ this Christmas? As we saw last week, is it indifference? Is it fear? Is it preoccupation? If you’re going to begin the journey you have to open the door, you must begin by searching.
• Am I Willing To Let God Invade My Space? If you want to see God work in your life, you have to be open to His intervention. You have to open the door to begin the journey.
Lots of people want to say they are willing for God to invade their space, but few really want to do what He asks them to do.
• Am I Open To Wonder and Awe? When we talk about opening the door to your spiritual journey we are talking about a relationship with Jesus Christ. The journey is all about relationship and nothing builds that relationship more than worship, focus on Jesus Christ.
Many believe that this song was written 500 years ago by the great German Reformer Martin Luther who sang it to his children as a lullaby. It’s still listed in some hymnals as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn,”
Song: Away In a Manger
I’M A PORTAL TOO!
We Christians are also conduits between heaven and earth. We have dual citizenship. We have one foot on earth and one foot in heaven.
Jesus tells us to bring the light of heaven to earth.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
In December 1914 Europe was beginning a bloody war of attrition. The days were dark, but on Christmas Eve Christian men on both sides of the conflict became a portal. Bringing a little bit of heaven into a hellish situation on earth. Four years ago a movie was made in an attempt to capture the drama based on actual historic events in the trenches of Belgium.
Roll Video Clip “Joyeux Noel” (DVD Begin Clip 46:44—End 50:50)
Christians have been endeavoring to bring pieces of heaven to earth for 2000 years
A village pastor in the town of Oberndorf, Germany penned the words to this song on Christmas Eve. He became distraught when the organ in his church broke down and couldn’t be repaired in time for Christmas services. He enlisted a friend to compose a simple guitar accompaniment for his hymn and it was first performed at midnight mass in St. Nicholas Church. Since then it has been translated into at least 44 languages and is by far the most recognized Christmas carol in the world.
Song: Silent Night
Ephesians 5:8-9 (NIV)
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light [9] (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV)
For we are God’s fellow workers;
PEEKING THROUGH THE PORTAL GIVES ME JOY AND HOPE
For thousands of years the people of God have known that this world is not our home, we’re just passing through. For thousands of years the people of God have looked beyond this life.
Hebrews 11:13, 16 (NIV)
[13] All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. …[16] Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Even Jesus did it. He peeked through the portal. The bible tells us that he endured the cross because of the joy that was set before him.
More than 600 years ago a Dominican monk named Heinrich Suso got a peek through the portal one night as angels appeared to him in a dream. The angels were singing and dancing joyfully. Suso joined them in their dance, and wrote down this carol immediately upon waking.
Song: Good Christian Men Rejoice
Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. [2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
On June 22, the number of minutes of sunlight we enjoyed each day began to shrink. From 15 hours and 2 minutes on that day, the time we have in the sun shrinks until this coming Tuesday, when we have only 9 hours and 20 minutes. But as we approach that shortest day, is anyone despairing over it? Why not? Because we know what will happen on Wednesday-- days will stop shrinking—the nights will stop growing – gradually the light will build back to that 15 hour day in June! We need that hope – that reminder that things will once again return to the warmth and light of summer!
No matter how dark things are right now, if you’re a Christian you can peek through the portal and get a good dose of hope and joy.
If you’re not yet a Christian let me tell you a story. I took Sarah to Wal-Mart a few days ago and did like all real men, I sat in the vehicle while she shopped. I watched her walk up the door and low and behold…Do you know what that door did? It opened! She walked up to it and she didn’t exert any effort at all…the door just opened for her. I sat there and thought, “man my wife is awesome…she’s go the power to open doors without even touching them. And then a man approached the door and guess what—the door opened for him too! No effort…he just approached the door and the door opened. I started thinking…maybe Sarah isn’t magical and powerful. Maybe the power is in the door. I sat there for quite awhile and I saw scores of people approach that door and sure enough…it opened for every single person. I saw white people walk up. I saw Hispanic people walk up. I saw I saw African-American people walk up. I saw wealthy people walk up. I saw people who looked poor. I saw people who looked rich. I saw people who looked mean. I saw people who looked nice. Young and old people. Short and tall people…The door always opened. It didn’t matter who walked up. Jesus is like that door. Not to Wal-Mart—Jesus is the door to heaven.
Invitation To Receive Christ
