Looking Back To Bethlehem

Looking Back To Bethlehem Matthew 2.1-12 We need to have one foot in Biblical times and another in contemporary times as we work out our salvation, while both planted firmly in the timeless Christ. As one pastor said, “Hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” If we move too quickly into the New Year we can miss some of the meaning and message of Christmas. This pandemic has made us slow down! It has given me a Christmas of solitude and silence for the most part. I have made my way back to the manger this year. Pastorally speaking this has been an incredible Christmas. Similar to Holy Week where more happened online than public I stand in awe of God’s Hand at work in all of this. Like the decree from Caesar Augustus forcing Mary and Jospeh to travel 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem when she was about to give birth, so this Pandemic has forced us to improvise in the church and the ministry of the Word and prayer. My conversation with Dr. Ritter on Christmas Eve. Let’s linger at the manger. I made my way back to it this year. Let’s come to Bethlehem and see this morning. This morning let's look back to Christ's first coming, December 25, 0000 AD. 1. Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time of King Herod. Jesus was born- The Word became flesh. God in man is now residing. It was an event in human history. His Name will be called Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace In Bethlehem, its vicinity, municipality, the shepherds were in the fields nearby but Jesus was born in the city, the city of David. Bread of Life, The Bread that comes down from heaven born in a city whose name means House of Bread During the time of King Herod, the terrorist. We live in horrific days, but as in the time when Jesus was born, great days of God working in the world, all over the world! The church, along with everything and everyone else has been challenged in these days. Several churches I know well are now closed, except for online Livestream gatherings. God is calling the church out of the church. This is a time of sifting and rearranging. Like Habakkuk’s time. “You are just going to have to trust me, Habakkuk. You don’t have a choice.” 1.5 2.20 In fact if you want to see God’s Message to America right now, the Word for Today, read the three chapters of Habakkuk today or this week. In Bethlehem’s vicinity that night, the night when Christ was born... 2. Shepherds came, witnessed the event, then spread the news about Jesus. Luke 2.8-20 They hadn't even had a class on how to do it! These men serve as examples. They were the first to see, other than Mary and Joseph, the LORD's Christ. They were eyewitnesses of Jesus' birth. They came to Bethlehem. As we look back at the manger there and see Christ Jesus, the little LORD Jesus, we see shepherds worshiping and then spreading the news which is exactly the pattern we ought to be in today this morning. We are here to worship. After we leave we are entering into a world that does not know Christ and we are to tell the news around wherever we go. Their telling raised Messianic hopes. When John the Baptist came 29 1/2 years later, preparing the way, the Shepherds had prepared the way for him! Shepherds are close to the heart of God. Looking back to Bethlehem we see that... 3. Wise men seek the LORD. They saw the star and followed it. They traveled to Bethlehem. They gave gifts to the LORD. They worshiped Him. They listened to the LORD, not Herod. 4. We see this Holy Family in crisis but in the Hands of God. If we move too fast from celebrating the Advent we miss much. The wisemen took appraoxiamately 2 years to get there. After the event in the manger 2 years of life transpired for Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus. We know they remained in Bethlehem. Joseph, no doubt, worked as a carpenter. Children have ascended to thrones so perhaps they wondered if Jesus would. Bethlehem is just down the road from Jerusalem. Travel at that time and actually always was difficult for pregnant women and nursing mothers. When it was time to flee, the fled at night. God was with them. Life can bring some very trying and painfully hard times to us. Holy people can go through horrific times. The Holy family did. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus as a baby. Revelation 12.1-6 Satan has come to rob, kill and destroy. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. He will soon crush Satan under your feet shortly (Romans 16.20). 2020 has been a year like no other. It has changed the way we live. People who want to go back to normalcy do not realize that reality never repeats. With the all the changes prior to the Pandemic, and some had described it like the age of the printing press, the church was the one stable thing in our lives. Now that has changed. But it is not bad. It is different. For instance, we had over 400 people view our Christmas Eve and Day Services online this year. And when I heard people say that they are working their way back to the manger my heart rejoiced! We can be angry over change, we can long for the good old days but the Bible says that is not wise. We can embrace the change, accept the current reality and continue to follow Jesus. That is what He is calling us to do right now. Read Habakkuk. That is God’s Word for this hour we are in. We are in a battle. For now we are tempted, tried and tested, but not tormented! God always gives peace and strength in the storms. Even when we face death He is with us! Looking back to Bethlehem Looking ahead to 2021 Looking for a City Whose Architect and Builder is God- the New Jerusalem! Looking to Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

Jesus, The Light of the World

Light Shining Into Darkness John 1.5 John 1.1-14 We are taken back to the Beginning in this morning's passage, before the creation of the world. At creation in the Cosmos there was darkness. God created light. This illumination, this shining forth came from Him. He created all things, but this is what He is, Light. God is light. 1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. The Psalmist spoke of it: Psalm 118:27 The LORD is God, and He has made His light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? This Christmas, this year... This can be a very depressing time of the year, a dark time if you will. There are even more reasons for it this December: The Covid19 Virus and it’s effects on family gatherings, church activities, concerts and pageants and the economy. People who have lost loved ones grieve their absence, more so during these days Loneliness is augmented at this time of the year, and even more so with restrictions due to the Pandemic. Normal financial pressures to give gifts Consider Seasonal Affective Disorder, “S.A.D.” Seasonal November to March What are the signs and symptoms of SAD? SAD is not considered a separate disorder but is a type of depression characterized by its recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4 to 5 months per year. Therefore, the signs and symptoms of SAD include those associated with major depression. Not every person with SAD will experience all of the symptoms listed below. Symptoms of major depression may include: • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed • Experiencing changes in appetite or weight • Having problems with sleep • Feeling sluggish or agitated • Having low energy • Feeling hopeless or worthless • Having difficulty concentrating • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide For winter-pattern SAD, additional specific symptoms may include: • Oversleeping (hypersomnia) • Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates • Weight gain • Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”) ▪ Episodes of violent behavior -- The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center Consider the Effects of the Covid Virus 1 out of 5 people have mental issues after they have has Covid Post-COVID Stress Disorder: Another Emerging Consequence of the Global Pandemic October 5, 2020 Phebe Tucker, MD , Christopher S. Czapla, MD Currently we are contending with celebrations, the things changed, need to practice social distancing. Consider Those of us Who Are Grieving *Augmented at the holidays due to memories and the absence of someone we loved. *December, January and February are darker months *It is hard to celebrate when we are feeling the loss of someone. *Grief is largely unpredictable. No wonder we respond to light! God is light. Even plants need light. I spoke to the Coach about planting my Daylily seedlings this month inside. He said that I could but just make sure they have plenty of light... even fluorescent ones will work! We need light. Physical, production of Vitamin D Spiritual Emotional, mental well being God has placed eternity in the hearts of men. The Power of the Light God is light. I John 1.5 Darkness cannot overtake it. It is its nature. A little light will show up in the darkness. It will dispel the darkness. Small flashlight. The world when Jesus was born was very dark. There hadn’t been a Word uttered by God for 400 years. Four centuries of waiting from the last words of the Old Testament until Jesus was born. There was widespread sin and the oppression. There was a sense of hope but it was dim. “We had hoped...” Wherever believers go the Light spreads! The Church has never been knocked out of commission by persecution, on the contrary. It has however become lukewarm and distasteful to the LORD when its riches increase and it doesn't sense its need of Christ. The light of God. Let there be light. Let your light shine. The prophecy of Isaiah Isaiah 9:1-2 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. These were the northern tribes. These were the first to bear the brunt of an invasion from the north. The north was used by the Assyrians the mountains gave them protection from site as they came in against Israel. These people were the first to fall in war and it is to them that Christ the light of the world comes. The prophecy of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father: Luke 1.78b- 79 by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. The Birth of Jesus. Angels in the sky. The glory of the LORD. The Transfiguration Jesus’s own words about Himself John 9:4-5 As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The world in the First Century was very dark. It was dominated by the Roman Empire. Two thirds of it was in some form of slavery. The Caesar’s and Herods were wicked narcissistic rulers. In that horrific time, on the Island of Patmos, John, who was exiled there wrote these words, Revelation 1. 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. John, in a very dark place, wrote of the Light Shining Forth At the conclusion he wrote about no need for the sun in heaven. The Lamb of God is the light. Revelation 21:23-25 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The Problem with the Light Men's deeds are evil They don't understand due to stubborn refusal. They have not been able to extinguish it, but neither have they been able to comprehend it. They try to extinguish it. Funny they are trying to extinguish something they deny exists. I have to really work on not arguing with my atheist connections. They remind me of someone heading off a cliff while telling everyone they will be fine. They cannot see, they cannot comprehend the love of God. I pray for their blinded eyes to be opened. Love takes away the blindness, not debating or arguing, even if we are right! Light shining in darkness is an irritant to the eyes. Also to the soul. John 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. But the light also can be used to clean, light on a front of a vacuum... Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. 1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. I John 5.20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him Who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 3. The Promise of the the Light Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Shine before men They will see your good works Glory will go to Our Father in Heaven Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words. Ephesians 4:1-3, 17-21, 25-26, 28-32 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Total Darkness we cannot see the light. The shines and we can see. These are exhausting times. These are exciting times. These are times of expectation. These are times that will effect eternity. 4. The Personal Aspect of God's Light My light Psalm 27.1 The Word that was with God in the beginning, God's Son became flesh, dwelt among us, touched lepers, fed 1,000's, took children in His arms and blessed them and whenever He did a healing there was personal contact. He even stopped everything one day when He realized power went out from Him but He didn't know to whom. Jesus did not do mass healing. Each person He called He called personally. We need to pray more for people walking in darkness to come into the light. We need to pray for the LORD to shine His Light into their hearts through our lives. Dear friends, if you and I know our real destiny, and are the servants of God, we are sent that men might, through us, believe in Jesus. John was a special witness; but we ought all to be witnesses to complete the chain of testimony. Every Christian man should reckon that he is sent from God to bear witness to the great Light, that, through him, men might believe. -Spurgeon Whether it is the Covid19, grief or seasonal affective disorder Christ is the answer. We need His Light to shine... and He is! He is at work today. He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Keep your eyes fixed on Him. Trust in His Promises. Know that the LORD is God. He is the Light.