“God Moved into the Neighborhood”
John 1:1-14
A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve, a teenager named Karla felt called to go to a nearby nursing home.
She went from room to room, offering to read the Christmas story.
After reading, she prayed with the residents and then moved on to the next room.
She came to a room that was dark; the lights were off and the shades were drawn.
She hesitated to go in but then noticed a woman sitting on the edge of the bed in the darkness, her hands folded in her lap, as though she were waiting for someone or something.
Karla asked if she could come in and read the Christmas story, and the woman whispered, “Yes.”
After reading about the birth of Jesus, Karla prayed with the woman and then invited her to join in the Lord’s Prayer.
Karla wished her a Merry Christmas and slipped out of the room.
As she left, Karla heard the woman weeping quietly.
She turned and stood at the door for a moment and heard the woman praying: “Lord, you didn’t forget me. I prayed that you wouldn’t forget me, and you didn’t.”
Karla went back into the room, wrapped her arms around the woman, and held her as she wept.
There in the darkness, the light of Christ had come.
Christmas is not only light piercing our darkness—it is also a calling from God to take His light into the world; and not only at Christmas but for the entire year—every year.
In Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” it says that “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”
Think on that, the God Who created the world “became a flesh and blood Person, and moved into the neighborhood.”…
… my neighborhood…
…your neighborhood.
This is how much God loves you and me and the person down the street and around the world.
The most exciting thing in the world is sharing this good news, through loving action!!!
Hate, violence, bigotry, war, poverty, disease, sin and even death seem so often to rule the world.
But Jesus has come to us to dispel this darkness with His light and His love.
Sean was an outstanding musician before drugs took everything from him.
Sean sold all his instruments to feed his speed habit.
He had lost all his jobs because he would often steal to buy more drugs.
One day, someone who cared about Sean invited him to come to church.
Sean said he would go, but he didn’t have a ride.
The person who invited Sean said, “That’s no problem. I can pick you up,” and he asked Sean where he lived.
Sean didn’t think another thing about it.
That Sunday, the man came through--he knocked on the door of a burned-out old building in a dreary part of town.
A young woman answered the door.
As she was rubbing sleep out of her eyes the man spoke up: “I’m here to pick up Sean for church.”
“He’s asleep but I’ll tell him,” was the young woman’s response.
In 15 minutes, Sean was in the car with his new friend.
They were on their way to church.
The man had to admit that he was pleasantly surprised that Sean went with him.
He was even more surprised when Sean came back again and again and again.
Even though Sean was going to church, he was still getting high on speed.
His friend offered to take him to a rehab center, but Sean didn’t like that idea and begged for another option.
“Well, there is one other radical option we could try,” his friend told him.
“Great! What is it?” asked Sean.
“You can get in my car right now and you can tell your drug dealer about Jesus.”
Sean smiled because he didn’t know if he should take his friend seriously…but he was serious: “Listen Sean,” he said, “there is darkness in your life.
And the only thing that can overcome darkness is light.”
That day Sean told his drug dealer about Jesus.
She was a mother of three who supplied drugs for the local kids.
From that point on, Sean never took any drugs.
He was free.
The power of the Gospel, received and given to others transformed his heart.
Sean’s dealer didn’t become a Christian that day, but her 14-year-old son did.
A year or so later, Sean heard that she too became a Christian.
Anything can happen; God has moved into our neighborhood…and to those who receive him, to those who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God.
I know that many of us see miracles happening all around us due to God using the ministries of this church for the building of His Kingdom.
And so many times we don’t even know in what ways God is bringing His Light into our world through what you all do.
Two and a half years ago, the Red Bank Community Food Pantry was just a vision.
Now, between 1,500 to 2,000 persons a month are being fed through this ministry.
When I walk around and speak with the folks who are waiting in line to receive their food I hear things like “this is what church is supposed to be.”
And, “you people are really being church.
You aren’t just talking about it—you are doing it.”
“I had lost my faith in people and in God.
Because of what you all do my faith is coming back.”
These are people who live around us.
They are our neighbors.
And in some small way—they may, just may see Jesus in us.
Some 2,000 years ago, the Word of God for Whom and through Whom everything was Created—put on flesh—and moved into our neighborhood—our world.
He did this because He loves us and somewhere along the line something went terribly wrong with His creation and we are in desperate need of fixing.
As a physical human being He went to the synagogues, He went to the Temples, He went to the brothels, and to the homeless camps.
He moved in with the lepers and He moved in with the hated tax collectors.
Some folks welcomed Him with open arms.
And because of this, their lives were never the same again.
Others kicked Him out.
Still others decided to get rid of Him by having Him crucified.
But, because the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can’t extinguish it crucifixion couldn’t stop Him nor silence Him.
He was Resurrected, and then He gave to those who believe in Him and seek to be His vessels His Holy Spirit to live inside them, to guide them, direct them, and give them new life.
When these vessels come together to worship and serve Him—they are His Church—His hands, feet—His Body on this earth.
That’s us.
Our job is to be Jesus to one another and to the world.
I know I mess up at it all the time.
But when I follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in concert with other believers—sometimes Christ’s light actually shines through a broken vessel such as me.
In 1st John Chapter 4 it says this: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God…
…This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”
Another way to say this might be: “This is how God showed his love among us—he moved into the neighborhood.”
I want to ask you this morning, are you—as a member of Christ’s Body—moving into this neighborhood surrounding this building?
Are you being light in a dark world?
Do you hear God calling you to take His Light into the world with acts of love, mercy and care?
And do you hear Him calling you to do this, not only at this time of the year, but also in April, June, August and into eternity?
Let’s allow God to make 2022 the best year yet.
It can happen.
It can happen despite Covid-19.
It can happen despite the violence of our day, the frustration, the apathy, the brokenness of our world.
And the reason it can happen is that God is with us.
He has not abandoned us.
He Who created all that is and ever was has come to us in Jesus.
And to all who will believe, He gives the right to become God’s Children.
If you have not yet taken the leap of faith won’t you do it today?
Or maybe you believe in your head, but you haven’t given Jesus your heart, your life, your all.
What better time to do it than at the beginning of a new year.
The chancel rails are open for prayer during the closing song.
Won’t you ask Jesus into your heart?
And if you are already a child of God, but you haven’t done much lately with that son or daughter-ship you have been given…
…won’t you recommit your life, your- self, your all to bringing His light into this lost and broken world?
Won’t you allow Him to use you as His vessel through which others will come to know Him?
I can think of no better decision.
I can think of no better way to live.
The decision is ours.
This can be a good year coming up…
…or it can be more of the same…
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”
What will we do about this?
Amen.
