Christmas ReMix 2011
Part Two
The Ghosts of Christmas
December 11, 2011

(Advent Video - Love)
(Candle-Lighting / Storey family)

I appreciate the Storey family lighting the Advent Candle of Love for us this morning. We know that’s what Christmas is all about – God loves us so much that He sent to us the greatest gift in His Son Jesus, born in a manger, living a perfect, sinless life and then offering Himself up on the cross to provide the way of salvation for all who will come to Him in repentance and faith.

I told you last week that the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I sat down with the girls and we kicked off our holiday season by watching Charles Dickens’ classic "A Christmas Carol." You’ll remember that Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits – the Ghost of Christmas past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

And I think those same specters hang over all of us at each Christmas celebration, and it has been so since the very first Christmas.

Here’s what is recorded in the Gospel of Luke:

"He was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel even before He was conceived. Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the Law of Moses after the birth of a child; so His parents took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.

"At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

"That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there.

"He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Sovereign Lord, now let Your servant die in peace, as You have promised.
I have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of Your people Israel!’" – Luke 2:21-22, 25-32

Let’s talk about . . .

The Spirit of Christmas Past
When Jesus was miraculously born to a virgin, this was a divine event that tradition had foretold for hundreds of years. The Messiah would come into the world, and He would usher in the Kingdom of God. At that time, it would not be a kingdom that was to be centered on an earthly throne, but it would be a kingdom that could reign in the hearts of all those who surrendered themselves to God and His will for their lives.

Simeon understood the significance of that first Christmas because he had paid attention and taken to heart what God had been saying for hundreds of years.

So how does Christmas past affect us here in 2011? The most obvious answer is that we wouldn’t celebrate at all if it weren’t for God speaking the truth about what He is doing in the world through the Gospels.

Just as the ancient prophecies allowed Simeon to interpret his time, so these divine historical records that God inspired to be written tell us the truth about who God is and who we are, too.

Jesus came into the world so that there might be peace between God and man. So that you could be reconciled with God by faith through His grace – no guilt, no shame, no fear – your sins forever washed away and the righteousness of Jesus applied to your soul.

The Holy Spirit calls you to that reality from the truth of God’s Word.

We understand Christmas from looking at and receiving and believing the Gospel past.

And then, I think, we also understand and experience Christmas in light of our own past, as well.

I remember vividly what Christmas was like when I was young, from the delight on one Christmas morning when my dad was rip-roaring around the yard on our new go-kart, to the gratitude I felt in later years when I knew that my mom did all she could to make Christmas as good as it could be, and it was very difficult and challenging for her as a single mom. Those kinds of things leave an impression on you.

For me, it makes me want to share all those joyful times with my girls, not to miss any of them, and to let them know that I will always be there for them. Nothing is going to come between me and my family. God has given them to me to protect and to love and to cherish, and they are my great joy and blessing. I will keep Christmas with them the right way, both because of what I missed and what was I was given.

I’m sure you feel that way, too. You have memories of Christmas moments, hopefully many good ones, and perhaps some not so pleasant. And those experiences have shaped you and made you into someone who wants to experience Christmas in just a certain way. Don’t forget those lessons from the past.

Let the ghosts of Christmas past affect you even as they did Ebenezer Scrooge.
Now let’s talk about . . .

The Spirit of Christmas Present
In Dickens’ tale, the second ghost takes Scrooge to see several radically different scenes – from a joy-filled market of people buying the makings of Christmas dinner, to the impoverished but gracious family feast of his clerk Bob Cratchit, and then finally the stark images of two emaciated children who represent those on the earth who are in need of care and comfort.

The point of that journey is to cause Scrooge to consider what he is doing with the time that he has. How is he keeping Christmas? Does he realize that charity and mankind are his business?

Here’s what the Spirit-inspired Word says to us:

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a nice day; stay warm and eat well,’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
"So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." – James 2:14-17

It is our great blessing at Christmastime to share some of the goodness of God with others.
Over the last few weeks we put together shoeboxes with toys and personal items for children who live in other countries. And they will receive those with the truth of the Gospel Message.

This last week we finished collecting items for our Community Christmas baskets, and Friday those things were delivered to CJCOHN, where they will be combined with the donations from other churches and given to 900 disadvantaged families the week before Christmas. Those are good things.

Today we are going to share with each other in our faith community Christmas potluck and party. Even if you didn’t plan to stay with us after worship today, I want you to know that the invitation is open to stay and enjoy this celebration with your church family. It’s always a good thing when family gets together, and while the food will nourish your body, I think even greater the Christian fellowship and friendship will nourish your soul.

And I want you to know – after today we’re not finished keeping Christmas here at the Revolution.

Next week you’re going to have another opportunity to do Christmas the right way. You don’t have to prepare anything. In fact, I want you to be unprepared. Next Sunday we’re going to try and bless some people for Christmas that we will never know or meet.

I’m not going to be asking you to write a check, but I am going to let you give a Christmas gift. You won’t want to miss out on what God is going to do next week.

One more thing – to help those of you with children and grandchildren keep the real meaning of Christmas front and center with them, we’ve prepared these little booklets with a Christmas story for you to take home and read with them. This story will help children understand the spiritual significance of the Christmas tree, the star, Christmas candles, wreaths, presents, angels, candy canes, and even Santa himself.

If you will sit down and read this story with someone, I think you will honor the Spirit of Christmas present well.

Now what about . . .

The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come
When the third ghost appeared, it was a haunting figure completely wrapped in a black, hooded robe with a single gaunt hand pointing toward eventual fate. Tiny Tim was going to die and Scrooge was going to his doom, unmourned and unloved.

With the heaviness of truth weighing down on him, Ebenezer Scrooge cries out . . .

"Are all these shadows of things that will be or merely shadows of what may be? Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead, but if the courses be departed from, the ends will change." – Ebenezer Scrooge

And, of course, Mr. Scrooge was indeed right. God is always merciful, and He is always redemptive, and He is always looking to draw each person to Himself and to share with them the fullness of His blessing.

In fact, for those who have given themselves to Christ, the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come is not a herald of terror and dread, but joy and gladness.

Simeon knew this and proclaimed the availability of salvation for all who would believe.

You know, last Saturday I had the opportunity to officiate a funeral for a friend of mine whose sister had passed away. She was only 49, but she had been in poor health because she had made some bad choices and abused herself at a young age. My friend, David, told me the funeral was going to be difficult because his sister and his father had been distant and hadn’t even spoken to one another for years. A sad story, for sure.

But they were all believers. Now, we can reflect on how people can be real Christians if they can’t even get along with family members, and certainly the Scriptures tell us that true faith will produce Godly fruit, but I think we understand that as Christians we’re all a mixed bag of light from God and darkness from our sinfulness, and we all still have rough edges and areas that we need to grow in.

The work that God is doing in His children won’t be completed until we stand before Him. But on that day, it will be accomplished.

And that’s the reality that I was able to share with that family last Saturday. For the sister and the daughter, all of God’s promises to her have come true. She no longer has regrets or holds grudges because all of the fruits of the spirit have come to harvest in her life. She is full of God’s love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and self-control. And when her family members who also believe see her again, they will all rejoice together over the grace of God that covers all sin and makes all things right.

You see, for a believer the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is not the death angel or the Grim Reaper pointing to your doom. It’s Jesus Himself holding out his arms, welcoming you into the full joy of God’s Kingdom. And there will be eons ahead for you of celebration and blessing and righteousness and adventure.

What do the Spirits of Christmas say to you this morning? If you will listen to what they say about the past, the present and the future, then you will be able to keep Christmas well in your heart, and you can join in with Tiny Tim and all those who once were crippled by sin, but now are finding healing through Christ. Here is our declaration:

God bless us every one!