Three-year-old Gracie was playing in the living room, testing things out. Her mother saw her pick up a nickel, examine it, then swallow it. The mother immediately picked her up, turned her upside-down and pounded her on her back. Whereupon, Gracie coughed up two dimes.
When that happened the mother really got worried. Hysterically, she shouted to her husband who was out in the back yard, “Gracie just swallowed a nickel and coughed up two dimes. Hurry! Tell me what to do!"
The father shouted back, "Keep feeding her nickels. We can use the money." (1)
The world around us constantly tells us we're not worth very much. Big business practices seem to concur. We're only worth as much as they can get out of us.
But the Biblical estimate of a single person's worth is beyond human comprehension. On the very first page, the Bible says that we are created in God's image. We are the creation of a God who loves us so much, values us so highly, that He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we can live.
Through Jesus Christ, God became one of us in order to tell us, in the most dramatic way possible, just how much God loves and treasures us.
That's what this birth in Bethlehem we celebrate every year is about. That's what the Christmas tree and decorations are about. We celebrate the gift God gave us by giving gifts to our loved ones. But no gift will ever come close to what God has given us in Christ.
John came as a prophet proclaiming the coming of Christ, the Messiah. He was the preview trailer. He was the commercial announcing the event. He was the warm up act so to speak. John came to wake people up to the fact that the times wasn't just coming, the time was here.
Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)
[7] John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
[8] Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
[9] Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
[10] And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"
[11] In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?"
[13] He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."
[14] Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
[15] As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,
[16] John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
[17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
[18] So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
John proclaimed the good news. People heard it, received it and asked "What should we do?" And that's a pertinent question for today. "What should we do?" Let's look at a portion of the answer this morning. "What should we do?"
PARTICIPATE, PERSIST AND PURSUE.
I. Participate
How do we participate? Simple, make sure in the midst of the busyness of getting your house and business ready, that you save time and room to get your heart and spirit ready. Those are the most important parts of who we are that need to be made ready. PARTICIPATE.
Make sure you Worship every Sunday between now and Christmas. And if possible came to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion service.
Use the Daily Devotional the members of the church have written. It will touch your heart and keep your focus on the real reason for the season.
Support the choir and the children tonight at the Cantata. Give yourself through your attendance, as they give themselves to you and God through their presentation. You will be lifted up by the message of the season as it's shared through song.
If you haven't felt like you've gotten to do enough with the Angel Tree this year, then give to the Salvation Army. Carry extra quarters and dollars to drop in their buckets.
Send an anonymous Christmas card with a little cash, to a family you know that's in need.
"What should we do?" PARTICIPATE.
II. Persist
Then persist. So many times, this time of year causes us so much stress. There is so much to do. So many places to go. So many things to buy that it gets old quick and we begin to lose the spirit of Christmas.
I heard a story about a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, she was exhausted and frustrated. All of that was made worse by the fact that both of her children kept asking for everything they saw on the shelves. She finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.
She felt what we all feel during the holiday season. She felt overwhelmed by the pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, to get the perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list and making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list. She groaned inwardly as the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car.
She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."
From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified him."
For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
This year we need to persist. We need to remember the One who started this whole Christmas thing. We need to keep Him and His purpose, both in the world and in our lives, in our every thought, every deed, every purchase, and every word.
If we all did that, can you imagine just how different this whole world would be.
"What should we do?" PERSIST.
III. Pursue
And finally pursue Christmas. Don't give up until you have experienced the joy of Christmas.
* [Show clip "Ornaments"]
Santa, in that clip, sure went through a lot just to get a couple of cookies. How far are you willing to go to make the miracle of Christmas come alive? How far you willing to go to reap the promise of Christmas? To behold the wonder of Christmas? To receive the greatest gift ever given. PURSUE Christmas with the same excitement as the Wise Men.
"What should we do?" PURSUE.
Conclusion
Mark Connelly in his classic play "Green Pastures” imagines the angel Gabriel approaching God, who is in deep thought. God is troubled about what is happening on the earth. He is troubled because he has sent his prophets and messengers, but the people on earth refuse to listen to them. Gabriel, seeing God's hurt, reacts in anger. He offers to blow the final trumpet and end the whole thing. But the Lord removes Gabriel's horn from his lips, determined to try yet one more time. "But isn't this all routine," Gabriel wants to know. "Can't we already predict the result?"
God says "I am not going to send anybody this time. I am going MYSELF!" (2) That's the story of Advent. And that's what we are preparing for, to celebrate God entering into our lives and our world in the form of an innocent child.
"What should we do?" PARTICIPATE, PERSIST AND PURSUE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.
1. "Going Cold Turkey" a sermon from Voicings Publication
2. Quoted by Eric Ritz in the sermon, "Learning from a Little Child," in DYNAMIC PREACHING, Vol. 10, No. 12.