What Will You Do with the Christmas Message?
Christmas Candlelight Service
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Introduction
In the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, we read about the reaction the shepherds had after being told of the arrival of the Savior.
1. They listened to the message.
They took it all in, getting all the details. They didn’t put the angels on hold. They listened.
But it didn’t end there.
2. They obeyed the message.
They didn’t put it up for a vote. They didn’t call their congressman. They didn’t refer it to a committee of the shepherds’ union.
They went. And what they found when they obeyed changed their lives. They found the Savior, just as the angel told them.
But it didn’t end there, either.
3. They spread the message.
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
And here’s where I want to challenge you.
We who call ourselves Christians, we who call ourselves followers of Christ, we who have seen the Savior, what will we do with the Christmas message?
Will we keep it to ourselves, as is the habit of most, or will we take to heart the example of the shepherds, and tell others what has been told us about this child?
Who are we to keep the good news of Jesus from others? Who are we to deny others the opportunity to accept God’s free gift of forgiveness for sins and eternal life?
In the season in which we are most lavish with our gift-giving, should we be so selfish with the greatest and most life-changing gift of all?
Let it not be so! Let this be the night that a new resolve takes root in you, in your deepest being, to spread not just material gifts, but the gift of Christ as well, and not just this time of year, but year ‘round.
Now all would be easy if that was where my challenge ended. Spiritual-sounding words are easily heard and easily forgotten.
So I want to give you something specific – something that will give no excuse of ignorance of my intentions:
Ask God to lay on your heart one person who needs to hear the good news of Jesus this week. And ask Him for an opportunity to show the love of God to that person by telling them how they can know the gift of heaven for their own.
If you don’t feel that you’re able to tell them how to know Christ, then invite them to church on any Sunday. Or give them one of our invite cards on the back table.
Do something to introduce them to Jesus.
And you will experience something of the joy the shepherds found in finding Christ and telling others about Him.
God bless you.
