Advent - Second Sunday - Love
Today is our second Sunday of Advent. and I did find a child to come up here and Light, the candle with me. So Eli. Come on up the man-child Eli. Right.
I asked him if he would, he said, sure. So he's going to come up here and he's going to light two candles for me. You stand right in the middle there and make me look good. All right, so Eli has been in this church is whole life, right? It's a long time. He's a junior. This year, will be a senior next year. Good Lord willing right. Grades are good enough for that, okay, monitor yesterday, but no, you like Eliza? Special kid. I think they know Church having grown up with us and been apart but he's been doing this for a few years with me. So I've mentioned last year last week that the out, some of these kids are grown up me, not want to do it, sister's back door, taking pictures. All look at her right? Some big sister taking pictures a little brother but our net worth lighting is the candle of Love. Last week was hope today is his love for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting. Like that last song that we sang together. You know what to bring all your problems, bring all your issues, the dependencies that we have on the things of the world, bring those to look at the gods, sometimes we look up on people and we see them as humans and we, we say well, there is no way, you know, I want anything to do with you. But those are the people that God sent his son to die for, right? So we need to be reaching out, to those around us who are had some of those issues or problems with drawing them towards Christ? Loving them, the way that Christ has loved us. So today, as we light, the candle of Hope from last week and today the candle of love for this week.
Let's pray. Father we thank you we thank you for the love that you give us. We don't deserve it. We know we can do nothing to earn it but you gave your son as a love gift to the world that whosoever believes in Him. Should not perish but have everlasting life. Father, help us to take that love and share in the world that we live in guidance and direct us today. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Thank you, Eli. Grab your bible, start with me this morning, if you will have John chapter 1, John chapter 1,
What we find in our messy today is the Christmas love. Is that God comes to us. He comes to us and not only does it come for us when he comes or come to us, but he comes for us. So he comes to us. He comes for us. And I wanted this morning to look let these two Simple Truth encourages. The trust is faithfulness. I don't know about you. I've been in church all my life, grew up in church, been to church. Every Sunday sometimes twice on Sunday, Wednesday night's growing up. And in church that we would do that Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, other meetings that we would have that. We would have those what we used to call Revival meetings. Remember those days of old me, we can't get people out to those anymore. I guess we're all revived enough, but that we would have those Revival meeting. We have a guest speaker, come in and try to encourage everybody to go out in and to witness to the family and friends. Lost loved ones and bring them into the house of God, but our world has gotten to the point where Christians have gotten very busy and it's tough to do those things anymore. Get attendance, your wallet shouldn't be about, you know, numbers in, no, it's not about numbers but it is about community and working together and understanding how the body works, when the body does not work correctly, it doesn't just affect that. Parted affects every other aspect but These two truths. The god comes to us, and he comes for us. Should encourage us, he has never and he will never leave you. Aren't you glad for that? He says, I will never leave you nor forsake you If we're his child and he's our father he will not leave us. So John begins here in chapter one of his gospel he began his gospel quite differently from the rest of the gospel writers if you will. The rest started with historical accounts of the events that took place. Here's what's going on. In in Matthews today, here's what's going on in Mark's. Dave. Here's what's going on at Luke's. Matthew and Luke talked about the circumstances leading to Jesus birth.
Many of you may have started reading Luke chapter 1. The Book of Luke chapter 1 on the first day of December and as you get to the 24th, if you get to the Christmas story and Dolls, water begins to work out. Mark, started off with Jesus entering into Ministry. he also talked about how John the Baptist was preaching, and Preaching repentance and preparing the people. To change their heart for faith in Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke all stars out of storytellers but not John. John launch straight into the purpose of his writing and his first 14 verses that we find here in John chapter one, we're going to read them this morning and then we'll dive into my message. John 1:1 says, in the beginning, was the word. The word was with God and the Word was who God, he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him was nothing made, that was made in him was life. And the life was the light of men and the light shines in darkness. And the Darkness did not comprehend it There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to Bear witness of the light that all through him might believe he was not that light but was sent to Bear witness of that light. That was the True Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world in the world was made through him in the world. Did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him to them, gave he the right to become the children of God to those who believe in his name. Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of, man. But of God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the Glorious of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. Let's pray. Father, this morning as we look into your word open, our hearts, open your mind to the truth of your word. That God comes to us and God comes for us. There's a purpose. There's a plan that God has put together for the best of mankind and yet many times we think that we've got better ideas or better thoughts than what the creator of this world could ever come up with because we begin changing his plans and changing his ways. And God may allow us to do that but in the end, he has his way in his plan is accomplished. Father help us. The trust you to see us through in each and every day of our lives, every moment that you have given us is a faith moment. When we put our faith in our trust, in you, to follow you in to do the things that you have called us to do. Gaidas. You know, the need to know the burdens. We lift up those who are sick among us. We ask that you put your hand up on them and he'll them touch their bodies and their lives. In Jesus name, we pray Amen. as we read these first 14 verses of John chapter 1, it lays down the theme of his book. It lays out what the Book of John is really all about impact at the end of the book and 20:30 he mentioned the fact that if everything, the Jesus has done had been recorded in the book, there's not be enough room to store the volumes of his actions. 21:25 says the same thing. There, there's not enough room for all the things that Jesus did we. We don't have everything written down that Jesus did. So, as we see excerpts of his life through the word of God, as we see the things and how he touch people's lives, there's multitude of other people, and other things that Jesus had his fingerprints on and taking care of the needs. The ones that we do read about speak to us. They they they change our lives. They they help us understand who this Jesus is. Black verse 31 of chapter 27, but these things are written that, you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name.
Why were they written these things were written? That we may believe in that. Once again, there's a multitude of things that have not been written about him because there's not enough room. But imagine what we doing, imagine what we do read about him in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, who is the word Jesus? Jesus is the word, Jesus Is God, In the Flesh. Jesus is the one who came down into this world, to go through the pain of sorrow and suffering that you and I go through the understand that the trials and tribulations. See if you've never been through trial and tribulation, you don't really know how to handle it. If you've never been through areas of tough times, and Harden, is when, when tough times and hardness comes, we don't know how to handle it.
Part of my life and part of my makeup, and who I am today, comes from the way that I was raised, the way that I was brought up the things I worked was taught the things I was able to do or not. Do remember last week I mentioned about talking to my father. When I want, I want to play football about buying me, some $13, cleats back in the 70s, in the early seventies, and that was outrageous. I thought they had to go ask my father to buy me some cleats because I knew finances were not readily available.
Today we do $13 off like, it's really doesn't mean much anymore. Right. A lot of the world. We will spend went to the movies the other night. Right. Not only did I go into the movies. We had a group of people that went to watch. I Heard the Bells, but went to the movies and I bought some popcorn and a soda. And some Eminem's for my wife. Right. It wasn't $13 any more folks. You're not getting in the movies for a dollar, right? It was, it was it was a good time had by all. We went to the movie, we learned a few things and was able to Fellowship a little bit with those around us with. Here's the thing with that, that doesn't mean so much anymore. But part of who I am a part of my makeup is how I was raised when I was younger, understanding the value of a dollar and knowing that if you, you wanted something, if you work for that, meant a whole lot more for you until you than if you was just given it. So John Wright's launches right into the purpose of his writing in his writing here is to represent to us who Jesus is the. Son of God who came who came to save us and you read his writing, you find out all that Jesus went through. To save us. There was a price that was paid, there was something that was laid out for you and for me that we might have eternal life.
God comes to you. His presence. Presence presence is being with us is what we need. Not so much the presents presents under the trees or nice to have. It's nice to be able to give to each one but that's not what Christmas really is. Christmas is Jesus being with us his presence within us and around us and surrounding us. We did not go to him. He came to us think of that. He came to you, he came to me. He came to us. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God. And the Word was, was God, he was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. So, look around at life, look around at those around you that you love and care for. They were brought here and put here by God, I Jesus by the word & him. It's life.
But he came. And we call him Immanuel. Because what does that mean? God With Us. God With Us.
Call him Emmanuel. He wants to be with you. Here's the big question, ready? Do you want to be with him? Do you want to be with him? You can go places, you can do things to you, can meet people and you can find out whether people really want to be there by their actions. Many times, right? Are they interact with other are they happy or are they like can't wait for this to get over with get out of here and go do what I want to do. Church people not you guys, right? No. It's you can look at people just decide whether they want to be someplace or whether it's a big inconvenience for them to be where they are and they're just getting through it. So they can keep peace with others. Hunting t-shirts for sale. That I don't really want to be here. I'm here because my wife said, I had to be Right. But the attitude that comes along with those kind of things of of belonging and being a listen. Jesus came. To ask if he wants to be with us but he also wants us to be with him. Therefore that's why he made a place that you and I may go some day. If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not just a head and Ali's just deeper than us, it's that relationship.
Try to blame God for ignoring or neglecting us and we all feel that way sometimes. Do we not God. Why are you listen to my prayers? God, why aren't you answering my prayers? God? Why, why have you turned your back on us? When we blame God? For ignoring us when we blame God, for neglecting us. It's a great Injustice, because it's not the case. Joshua 1:5 says, I will never leave you. Nor forsake, you. He's always there. He's always around us, he's present with us. We just need to reach out to be a part of him. There is a two-way street. Really, he's peace, does he's done everything that needs to be done. Now, our responsibility is to participate in the program that he's laid out for us this program called life and putting him in the end of this. Part of that is very important.
The truth of it is it's off because of our sinfulness because of the distractions of Life. We've been the ones that have left him out and therefore, we feel like he has forsaken us when we have And Truth. Forsaken him a man. How many times? How many times has God talk to you, in encourage you made me to do something and get something accomplished and done. In his name is like to take the time. I don't want to if I start that then I'm going to have to continue on.
We know the story of Mary and Martha Martha was distracted by all the preparations that need to happen. She was a worker. She was a due or distracted, by all the preparations and many times. We are consumed by all the activities of of Christmas, all the things we need to get accomplish. All the things that need to get done before we can celebrate correctly. We get preoccupied by the Affairs of life doing that. This is got to be this way, that's got to be that way. What if what if you and I This morning. To the sitting here in a nice comfortable Church in Schaghticoke New York.
Heated room. Bands going, windows are open up front, why it was warm in here when I first walked in this morning, 69 degrees and you guys thermostat was at 65, but it was 69 degrees in here. You guys, hadn't shown up yet and once you guys showing up shows up show when you guys get here.
The temperature rises. Right. That's a good thing. That means bodies are here. But we open the windows and get a little air flow and some freshness in the here. But what if it's going to being here this morning? What if we were in Ukraine? In a church worshipping this morning together in your crane. Would we be prepared with everything? Be there that we needed? Would all the things that we think we desire or have to have in order to serve God the right way or worship God the right way. With all those things to be there.
Probably not. But they weren't they are they, we got everything. We need to worship God anywhere with why? Because he wants us to come as we are If we didn't have any light so we didn't have any sound or are, we couldn't hear any of the answer much this morning. Would that change our worship? I hope not. Because they didn't have a lot of these things back in the beginning.
And Jesus came. Into the world. He came to us as we are. We did not see Kim. He sought us. Luke 10:42 Jesus as the Mary only. One thing is needed. Don't worry about all the other stuff. Only one thing is needed. And he chose a presents. Of married to be there with the Lord. Let the presence of God and you be enough.
Have you ever felt alone? Never felt like nobody else cares and you're going through it all alone. If you're a child of God, you are not alone. Why? Because he loves you, he loves me, he loves the world. He came into the world. in fact, what we see is John starts here with the Creator who is eternal
The one who put everything in the place and gave us a savior. Jesus was there right from the beginning, in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Jesus has been a part of this from day one. And finally, one day guys, I need to send them a savior. They need something, they need a visual effect that help their worship. And that baby was born into a Manger. God In the Flesh came down. And the life of an infant child. And the world rejected him.
John goes beyond Genesis chapter one where we read about creation and it goes further back before creation even took place Jesus was there with God from eternity. From the very beginning before all things were put together.
Jesus was there. And yet. God loved us enough. The send us his son. Then as we go on through here, John chapter one. We see that has John paints this picture the movement towards creation. He says, anniversary by the light shines in darkness Universe 90s and the True Light was coming into the world Helena verse Genesis, he was in the world. We'll look at verse 11. He came to that which was his own. And the word became flesh.
And dwelt Among Us. Paul describes a little differently. If you want to look at Philippians 2:6 through verse 8 who says who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped but he made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. And became obedient to the death, even the death. David Cross.
God In the Flesh. Came and humbled himself. In human ways in human nature, in human life. To the death of the cross.
Why is it so hard for us as Christians as Believers sometimes to Humble ourselves? The others. Well, we think ourselves better than others. We think ourselves greater than and I know we we say that. It's a well-known. I'm no better than anybody else yet. We are. We think we are anyway. We're not. But we think we are, we won't reach out to this person. We won't, we won't talk to that person. We have nothing to do with certain people, why? Because they're useless.
Did God? I think that those people were useless. Or did the same Jesus that he sent to you and to me, was that same Jesus sent to them.
He came into his own in his own received him, not they wanted nothing to do with him, they rejected him because they were looking for something more famous or more spectacular, if you will. Something greater than what they thought. This little baby born in the manger. That's a great aspect. A child comes into life. What's that smell? That's not a king, they fought. I mean, the king is the one that we see coming down the road and and all the pop in the circumstance, in the noise and everything that that begins to happen.
Find me. Look at our own Nation, our own world today, went when some dignitaries, go to certain places and then how much Pomp and Circumstance they get
I hear Boston had some visitors this last week. The Prince and Princess of Wales. They want not even the king. And it made the news. Am I the only one that heard the news, right? It made the news. I mean, I even went to watch the Celtics game there on the television, you see him there being greater than and everything going on? And that's just a prince and princess of Wales. That's not the savior of the world. And yet, when that baby came in. The lot of noise. I go and kill him. A lot of noise, I go get rid of them. But he came. To us. Any came? For us. Think about that for a second? And if you were the only person on the earth, he would have come to you and he would have come for you as well.
Even daddy human death. And one that we know is a, most shameful way to diet that hung on the cross for the whole world to see for everybody that passed by this evening. That person that imposter hanging on a cross.
Which was to be an embarrassment to him. To all the people of the way that would follow him pay. If you do this, this is what's going to happen to you.
But what they didn't know when they hung him on the cross. They didn't know the rest of that story of what's going to happen. Because when they took him down off that cross, when they placed him into that tomb, when he rose again the third day, there was a whole lot of explanation that had to happen now. Where did you go? All his disciples must have common and taking it while they prepared for that? They put 1,000 soldiers. Keep that from happening. 12 disciples can go and steal the body of Jesus Christ and go hide them and make this story off of a risen savior.
How many of you have ever told a secret to a friend? Anybody, right? And you said, hey, I don't want you to tell anybody else. Right. Okay, maybe one drink, and hold that secret for you. Let's try that with 12 people.
Tell 12 people the same secret say, I don't you tell a soul.
How many of you think that you have 12 people that you can tell a secret to and it's not going to get out to anybody else ever?
We have not one word of any one of those disciples.
Well, you know, a Peter. He's going to be the first one to say what I did, right? We know Judas didn't do it. They try, he tried to go by the body by buy it back and it's too late. Know that story is never told that way, because it didn't happen that way. It happened the way that God said, He rolls his son up from the grave. Why? Because he came to us and he came Forest that in him, we might have life. That light that came into the world. Was the true lady says, in verse 9, which gives light to everyone every person coming into the world.
Sometimes, we don't hear that story too late in life and we got to sort of figure it out. What I'm saying we're going on downstairs this morning right now while we're up here to Young and kids are downstairs. Being told the story of Jesus being told about what he did is when we were younger, we can believe the story. We need to have that faith. That scripture says the faith of a child. Because as we believe these stories, when we were younger, when we get older, we begin to figure it out. We see the truth, if we believe
I'm going to share a little controversy here this morning, okay? I grew up in an independent Fundamental Bible leaving. Nary a piece of literature. Baptist Church. Independence Church, Father is an independent Minister. Very conservative buried. Preach the word nothing but the word, amen.
But I was never told. There was no Santa Claus. I was never told there is no tooth fairy. I was never told some of the things that we ask. I was never told that I couldn't go trick or treating. My life was not one in, which I, I did. I couldn't, I was not told those anger against You know why? Because my parents know and I'm not just me but my my siblings as well, they knew that one day, we'll figure it out.
Have you figured it out yet?
I don't have a chimney in my house.
Right.
They figure it out eventually when they're up in the middle of night, trying to catch that guy, coming down the chimney and they figure out who that person really is. As her down there, putting bicycles and tricycles and whatever together looking for parts and pieces. And
I didn't have to worry about the Tooth Fairy parents. Never had any money to fill the Tooth. Fairy was pouring our house. So I didn't have to worry about that.
I enjoyed Halloween trick or treating. Why? Because that's about the only time I got all the candy I could ever have.
And that was what it was all about candy. It wasn't about any of the other stuff. What am I saying? I'm saying, as children you speak the truth and then they figure it out. Play figure it out a man. The problem is we live in a world today where they're not being told the truth.
scripture says, you shall know the truth and the truth shall
Are you free today? I'm free because I know the truth in him was light in the light is life. When we trust the light. We had life. John and Matthew chapter 28, verse Matthew chapter 20 verse 28. Jesus came and said, I did not come to be served but I came to serve and give my life as a ransom.
For many.
I didn't tell him, he said, I am not the kitty in the world to be served, I came to serve So, if he our Lord and our savior, the word became flesh to serve us. Shouldn't we be serving those around us? Should we be reaching out to those? That have the addictions in the trials and tribulations in the heartaches and the hardships.
I'll close with this this morning. 1st John chapter 4? First 19. We love him, why? because he first, Loved us. He showed us what true love is all about. And then he says to us, go and serve others with that true love. Can you? Do you? He came to us. But he came for us. Keeps here some of the world's rejected him. He still here. Thousands of years later, his word is still going for it. Yes, it's getting tougher, it's getting harder. A lot of people who are battling against it even more sore today than ever before. But, if a church in Ukraine, can worship together on Sunday morning and not have all the amenities that we enjoy and still worship. What's keeping us? I'm serving him the way he wants us to Father, we thank you. We thank and we praise you for your goodness, your mercy and your love. Guide us, direct us. Help us to serve you, help us to speak the truth of your word. Not worried about the other thing, but speak the truth. Because when we know the truth, the other things fall into place, if they don't line up with the word of God, we know that it's not what it ought to be. Help us to put you first in all things. Guide us and direct us in Jesus name.