I have wonderful news for you! Because of a brave little boy from Mississippi, the Grinch will not steal your Christmas. 5-year-old TyLon Pittman called 911 and said to the dispatcher, “I just want to tell you something. Watch for that little Grinch because the Grinch is gonna steal Christmas, okay?”

When police officer Lauren Develle, heard about the phone call, she decided to visit TyLon at his house in Jackson. When she arrived at TyLon’s house, she assured him that thanks to his tip, the Grinch would not be stealing his Christmas this year. She then asked TyLon what he would do if he saw the Grinch. He said he’d call the police and have them come take him to jail.

Develle was so touched by this little boy that she ended up looking around for someone to play the Grinch. The next day, Office Lauren and TyLon escorted a man dressed up as the Grinch to a jail cell. The police chief Luke Thompson later told TyLon that when he turned 21, he could apply to be a real member of the police force.[1]

Isn’t that a great story? Tonight, I want us to lock up the Grinch inside all of us so he doesn’t steal our joy this Christmas. The truth is, there is a Grinch in all of us. Too often, our bitterness and cynicism get in the way of enjoying Christmas.

We don’t start off bitter and cynical. As children, Christmas was filled with wonder and delight. But something happens when we become adults. Life wears us out! It becomes exhausting.

When I was a kid playing with my dad, I used to always wonder why he got so tired and had to rest. I wanted to keep on playing. As a new father, now I know!

Life is so draining that Christmas can change from a season of joy to a season of numbing obligations. It can become another party to attend — another work deadline before Christmas. It may become another long trip to see relatives or another crazy relative to deal with. It may be the same routine with the same result — same, same, same. One day I was walking in my neighborhood park.

There is a great walking path that circles around the park. It goes right pass a jungle gym. As I was walking,   I noticed a precious four-year-old boy, who goes to my church, playing on the jungle gym with his grandmother. I stopped to visit with them.

At first, the boy didn’t recognize me. I had a hat and headphones on, listening to music. When he recognized me, he wanted to show me all that he could do on the jungle gym. So I watched. Then he came up to me and said, “I want to tell you a secret.” I listened. I bent down and he whispered, “Do you have a girlfriend?” I said, “Sure, I do! She happens to be my wife.”

I finished visiting and continued on my walk around the park with my headphones on. When I came back around to the jungle gym again I saw the young boy run up to me and say something. I didn’t hear it because of my headphones. So I took them off and asked, “What was that?” He asked earnestly, “Are you going in circles? You were just here!” I said, “Son, you have no idea. Sometimes it does feel that way. Some days it does feel like I am going in circles.”

Do you feel like you are going in circles? Does life seem like one exhausting event after the other? Do you feel like nothing ever changes? Allow our lesson from Titus to speak to you:

…we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13 NIV).

Many of us are desperately waiting for a hope that will renew and empower us. Tonight is all about experiencing the fruition of that very hope in Christ. This is the good news of Christmas. Jesus Christ has an incredible offer for us tonight. It’s unlike any offer you’ll ever receive. Jesus said:

“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 CEV)

Rick Warren loves this verse because he believes many people don’t expect God to say it. Instead, he wrote, they expect God to say,

“Come home to me, and I will give you rules. Come home to me, and I will give you regulations. Come home   to me, and I will give you restrictions. Come home to me, and I will give you religion. Come home to me, and I will give you rituals.” But God doesn’t say any of those things. He says, “Come home to me,  and  I  will  give  you rest."[2]

Regardless of what you’ve heard, Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. It is not something that confines you; it is something that sets you free. It is not something that shames you; it is something that empowers you.

I don’t know how you think of God. I don’t know what kind of religious upbringing you had. But one thing I do know is that God loves you and doesn’t want to add more stress to your life. In fact, he wants to take stress away and give you love, hope, peace, and joy.

The reason why you’re so tired and fatigued and stressed out all the time is because you’re trying to live on your own power. God never meant for you to do that. God wants to give you the power you need. That’s why the message of Christmas is not just about a birth; it is about a rebirth of life for those who come home to Jesus.

Anyone can experience this rebirth. All they have to do let go and stop trying to handle life on their own. All they have to do is come to Jesus.

Regardless of what you have done, regardless of where you have been, and regardless of how lost you may feel, you can come home to Jesus tonight and be reborn.

Even the Grinch was reborn by Christmas. Toward the end of the story, the Grinch was changed. Listen to the rest of the story:

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”

“Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!” [3]

Christmas does mean more — so much more. It is not just a birth. It is a rebirth! Come to Jesus and he will give you rest. He will give you life. He will give you joy. It’s time for you to truly have a Merry Christmas. Come home to Jesus.

Amen.