For Those Not Familiar with an Anglican Service; Four Scriptures are read prior to the Message. The designated Scriptures for this Christmas Eve Service are: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14 and Luke 2:1-20.
Can you hear it? ......There is a buzz in the air. ......Maybe you can feel it.
As the song states,...... " In the air ....there's a feeling of Christmas."
It permeates everything Tonight...... Everything.
This is the time of year ....when nostalgia runs deep, ....and nobody dares act ......like a Scrooge.
Beloved ....Christmas is indeed ... a very.... special time. (Long Pause)
During this Christmas season, .....it is easy .....to forget ....what is ....important.
The true meaning of Christmas .....is not found in the wrappings,.... but in ....the gift. (Long Pause)
In the Christmas show.... " A Charlie Brown Christmas" .......which is broadcast faithfully ...every year.
Charlie Brown ....picks out a lonely tree.... With only a few branches for their Christmas program.
When he brings the tree back, ....everyone mocks him for picking such a terrible tree.
It bends over; ....the needles keep falling off,...... which in turn .......makes Charlie Brown .....all the more depressed.
And in despair, ...... Charlie Brown cries out :...... Isn't there anyone, .....who knows ....what Christmas ....is all about?
It is then, .... That his friend Linus .....shares these glorious words:
BIBLE "And there were in the same country.... shepherds, .....abiding in the field, .....keeping watch ....over their flock ...by night. And, lo, .....the angel of the Lord came upon them, .....and the glory of the Lord .....shone round about them!
And they were ....sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ........."Fear not! For, behold, ....I bring you tidings... of great joy, .....which shall be.... to all my people. For unto you ....is born this day ....in the city of David .....a Savior, ....which is Christ, ....the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: .....Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, .....lying in a manger." And suddenly, .....there was with the angel ....a multitude of the Heavenly Host ....praising God, ....and saying, ......"Glory to God in the Highest, ....and on Earth..... peace, ....and good will .....toward men." END
Now Beloved.....That's what Christmas ...is all about,
It is about the gift.......It is about God ....with us.
It is about God ........ coming ....to touch us.
Christmas Eve ......... is the time ......When the membrane between heaven and earth ......is so thin ..... you can almost .....see through it.
Tonight is the night .... we measure .....all time against." (Pause)
On this one night, ....God chose to come to us .... in human flesh.
Heaven came down...... O' Heaven came down... indeed (Pause)
I submit to you .....that the Gospel of Jesus Christ ..... is the greatest love story .... ever written.
I wish .....with all my heart .... that everyone would read the Gospel .....in that light.
I wish .....with all my heart ... that everyone ......would know .....and experience the love..... of our Lord and Savior.
The Birth of Christ .... Christmas ..... is a classic love story.
We have known ....of this love .....since childhood: ......"Jesus loves me, ...this I know, .....for the Bible ....tells me so."
Consciously or subconsciously, ....most people, ....this time of the year, ....are truly..... trying to catch a glimpse ....of God.
Christmas .....is that one time in the year ...when many ...make an extra effort ....to find real meaning, ....to find real joy ....to find real peace....in their lives.
This is when many people ....make an effort ....to look .....into the heart of God. (Pause)
Imagine the world .....at the time of Jesus birth. .....Imagine what Mary saw.
The world was very busy .... most people were traveling to their hometowns to register .....due to the proclamation of Caesar Augustus.
Mary .....along with Joseph... were one of these people.
So much hustle and bustle..... everyone.....so very busy.
There were so many travelers, ....that Mary and Joseph...... find no room ....in the Inn.
Mary gives birth to a son ....and lays him in a manger.
But most people really did not notice, .....most people made themselves so busy..... that they missed .....the presence of God.
It's not that people are not interested.... in God.
It's just that.... That most of the people got caught up ....in their busyness .....and they end up .....ignoring God.
The world .....has not changed much.
There is still ......the hustle and bustle.
Everyone so busy.
Does that mean that people ....aren't interested in God?
No...........No matter how busy you are, .....deep down in your soul, ....there is a desire .....to look .....into the heart... of God.
This evening, ....I want you .....to walk into Bethlehem....near the manger, ....and stand next to Mary, .....and (Slow) see what she sees. (Pause)
What does Mary see?
Well.....She sees a baby, .....and she listened for his breathing, ..... just as every new parent would do.
Yet she sees .....so much more. .......And .....She remembers ......the promises of God.
And as she recalls those promises .....and stares into the face of that child...............She realizes..... that she..... is staring..... into the very heart .....of God.
And then the shepherds arrive, .....and they tell her ....what the angel ....had said to them.
They crowd around the manger,.... and gaze into the face of that child.
And as they do,..... they realize .....that they are .....gazing.... into the heart of God.
Then the shepherds leave, ....and the Scriptures tell us...... Mary ponders..... all these things ....in her heart.
Everything her world needs.... is right there.
Everything ....that her hustling and busting neighbors and friends could ever ask for .....is lying .....in the manger.
The key to understanding God, ......
The key to understanding ....the meaning of life,
The key to eternity,.... is right there, ....lying in the manger. (Long Pause)
(Slow) Beloved.... then Mary lifts the baby out of the manger ......and she hands him ....to you.
And there you stand, .... holding in your arms .....the one .....and only Son of God.
And as you look down into his face, ....you realize .....that you too ....are looking .....into the heart ..of God.
In your arms ....you have everything.... that the world.... is truly ....longing for.
While the rest of the world hustles and bustles, ....there you are, .....in the quiet of the night, ....looking into the face of this child, .....looking into the very heart..... of God. (Long Pause)
Why........... Why...would almighty God do this, (Pause)
And then you look outside, ....and you see ........a shadow.
It is a bright night...... the stars are out..... one star seems to be shining especially bright..... yet you also see a shadow,....... the shadow..... of a cross.
And then you...... truly understand.
You understand why this child came into the world ..... he came to give you life ... eternal life.
You cannot help ....but feel a little saddened .....as you look .....into the face ....of this child.
Knowing all that he .....will suffer.......You hand the baby back to Mary.
But before you walk away, .... (Slow) you take one last look.
You see God's love for you, .....his mercy, ....his wisdom .....his forgiveness.
God has touched you. .......God has touched you .....this night. (Pause)
This year, .....like every year,.... millions of people, ....both children ....and adults, ....will open millions of gifts.
Some will not fit.
Some will be the wrong color.
Or as the newlywed wife said .....after receiving a unique looking dress from her husband ..... Honey that dress.... is just too precious ....to wear.
Yes many will be returned, .....exchanged ....or kept in storage.
But there is one gift ....that meets all our needs, ....one gift that.... never breaks, ....one gift ....that will ....never wear out.
A gift that is appropriate for a small child,.... a teenager,.... an adult, ....a senior citizen.
It is appropriate .....for a boy or girl,..... for a man or woman.
Beloved....The most valuable gift of all,.... is Jesus.
And He promises.... that if you will trust Him, ...... If you will accept him as .....your Savior and Lord.
He will set you free ......from sin and death.
And fill you with his Peace and Joy.... A Joy that cannot be taken away....A peace ....that passes all understanding. (Pause)
The angels declared it on that Christmas Day "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men..."
I would like close by telling you a story about a Christmas pageant.... that much ......like life itself, ....did not go .....quite as planned...
Wallace Purling .....was a nine year old boy .....with a .....learning disability .
But the children ....all liked him.
He was so much bigger than most of the others......, but he never bullied them.
In fact, .....he was the ever-present defender .....of the smaller children.
Now Wally ....wanted very much .....to be in the Christmas play ....that year.
He hoped.... he could be.... a shepherd.
But the teacher ....had a larger part in mind.
She reasoned..... That Wally was big enough... to be the innkeeper.
And so it was ....that Wallace Purling ...got the part .....of the innkeeper.
Oh, how he practiced.
The night of the play ....everything went beautifully.
No one ..... had missed a line.
At last..... the play.....came to the part.... where Mary and Joseph .....knocked on the door ....of the inn.
"What do you want?' .....Wallace asked, opening the door with a gruff gesture.
"We seek lodging,".... came the response.
"Seek it elsewhere, .....the inn is filled,"
"But sir, ....we have tried elsewhere,.... we have come a long way, ....and we are very tired,...." they responded.
"Go away," ....Wally properly commanded.
"There is no room ....in my inn ....for you."
"But sir, ....my wife is with child.
Don't you have a corner ....where we can get out of the cold?"
For the first time the innkeeper .....broke his icy stare .....and looked at Mary.
There was a long silence.
The audience was tense with embarrassment ..... they thought Wallace ....had forgotten his lines.
"No, be gone," .... the prompter whispered.
"No, be gone," ....Wally said ....halfheartedly.
Joseph ....sadly placed his arm ....around Mary ....as they began ....to move off ....the stage.
Suddenly, ....this Christmas program became different ....from all the others.
Wallace Purling .....could stand it no longer.
Large he was .... cruel ....he could never be.
With big tears welling up in his eyes .....he gave a performance ...others would never forget.
"Wait, ....don't go Joseph!" .....Wally called..... "Bring Mary back."
Wallace Purling's face grew .....into a bright smile.
"You can have my room ....and I'll sleep out in the cold." (Long Pause)
Some said the pageant was ruined.
Others knew better.
Wallace Purling ....... caught the real spirit of Christmas .....a heart of giving ....a heart of self sacrifice.
Beloved, ....that child in the manger.... is the light of our world, ....even when our world .....is in shambles...
For in that child..... the Divine ....and the human .....cross paths.
Christmas .....is where we find ....the Christ of God .... intersecting .....with all humanity.
Do you have room for him...
Do you have room for him .....in the Inn of your heart.
When Mary touched the face of her new born baby, .....she was touching .....the very heart of God.
Jesus is our living, ......breathing sign .....of the immeasurable love ....that God has for each of us.
This is the night .... when God sent out a love letter .....of cosmic proportions.
This is the night .... when Christ entered the world ....fully God..... and fully human.
We find that those gathered in his name ....even us .... here tonight.... fall within the embrace of that love.
Christmas... is the living promise .....that we are never .....ever alone.
No matter where we are in life, .....No matter .... what condition we find ourselves,
No matter how far we might stray, .....or how unfaithful we are,..... God in.... all his love, ....will continue.... to pursue!
(Slow) Beloved take time this Christmas ... to look... into the heart of God .... To fully experience his love.
For it is a love .... that never stops shining. (Pause)
BIBLE "For unto us ....is born this day ....in the city of David .....a Savior, ....who is .....Christ, the Lord." END
Amen and Amen!
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