The end of Advent is always a time of hope as we continue to look for
the second coming of Jesus Christ, and as we look to a new year, a
year filled with hope and promise. And in the next 36 hours, we will
be ringing in a new year. And some of you have probably already
written down that list of New Year' Resolutions, that list of things
that you plan to do this year. But for the others of you, if you're
like me, you've probably still put off that list of New Year's
Resolutions. Because if there's one thing I notice every year,
it's my enormous ability to overemphasize, to overestimate my
willingness to keep those resolutions.
You see, I'm okay with them for the first few weeks, but sometime
around mid-February, after weeks of deprivation, I want to live on
the edge. I want to know what it is to indulge, and I want to
put my fork in that piece of homemade apple pie with ice cream.
Perhaps you can identify with one author who writes:
"I have pounds to lose and weights to use and stacks of books to read.
The basement needs attention, and the garden's filled with weeds.
The back deck needs some varnish. My cracked tooth needs a crown.
I have so much that I need to do, I think I'll just go and lie down."
For the average American, I think we can divide our resolutions into
four basic categories: Faith, fitness, family, and finance. But this
morning, I want to talk to you about the category of faith.
Having celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world,
we should feel more inclined to want to make Christ-like connections
with the people of this world. We should have a deeper desire
to touch the people that God puts into our life with his love.
And so to that list of resolutions, whether you've written them yet
or not, I want you to add this one: Hug someone every day. That's
right. Hug someone every day.
Did you know that there are actually some physiological benefits to
hugging? In fact, science now shows that hugging helps to increase or
boost our immunity system. It helps us to fight disease. And
hugging actually helps to decrease the negative effects of stress.
But theologically speaking, I think there is something that we can
say about an embrace, and that is that an embrace conveys a touch of
God's grace. Jesus told his disciples to go into the world and
to love others the way that he loved them.
But you know, the kind of love that Jesus is talking about isn't just
about going up to someone and giving them a real big bear hug.
There's got to be a little bit more to it than that. Perhaps
the bear hug is a good place to start, because I think a hug is
symbolic and says to the receiver, "I identify with you in your
pain, in your disappointment, in your sorrow, in your joy, in your
happiness. And it's a demonstration of the kind of love that is
necessary if we are to win the world for Jesus Christ.
Let me tell you about a kind of world-class hugger. His wife simply
calls him Bill. His parents called him William Franklin. And
the wrinkles on his face reveal to us a life of hard labor; a life of
stress. His legs have now become weak, and his arms now tremble
involuntarily. His voice, which was once strong, is now tired.
And for most of his 82 years, Bill has touched the world by his
commitment to share the love of Jesus. He has committed his
life to sharing God's touch with others. And ever since he
first embraced Jesus Christ as a teenager, Bill has carried in his
heart a concern for the many people of the world who do not yet know
Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Since graduating from Wheaton College, Billy Graham has walked the
talk. Yes, to me Billy Graham is a kind of living example of
what it means to embrace others with the love of Jesus Christ.
And to me, Billy Graham is a kind of a modern-day example, if you
will, of someone described in Luke's gospel as Simeon; as someone
described as a man with a passion for the people of this world; as a
man who is concerned to show the world the touch of God.
Simeon lived each day for the touch of God upon his life, and he
wanted to share that touch with others. And he dedicated
himself to a life of worship and prayer, as he waited for the coming
of the Messiah - as he waited for God's appointed instrument to bring
healing to the nations - as he waited for God's appointed instrument
of salvation. And so each day, Simeon would walk to the temple where
he would go and pray and hope that he would see the Messiah. But you
know, on this day there was something very different. Simeon
knew that after many, many long years his prayers had finally been
answered. And I envision this frail, elderly gentleman, near
the end of his life, who now walks to the temple with a new bounce in
his step.
On this particular day, Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus, bring
their newborn son to the temple for the ancient Hebrew rite of
dedication. And Simeon walks toward them, slowly, filled with a
kind of quiet excitement and awe, knowing that his years of waiting
had finally come to an end. And holding the child in his arms,
he knows what few other people in the temple do. He knows that
he's holding a baby who has come to bring salvation to the people. He
knows that he's holding the Messiah, God's own son. And I envision
this frail, elderly gentleman laughing and crying simultaneously as
the deepest longing of his heart is now nestled in his arms.
As I picture Simeon, I think of the words of that beloved Christmas
carol, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem. You know the verse.
"The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee
tonight." You see, in Jesus Christ, the hopes and fears of
all the world are brought together. And Simeon understood that
he was gazing into the very face of God. He was gazing at the
light of the world, and the answer to all of our fears; the answer to
all of your
fears; the very answer to every hope that we've ever had was met in
Jesus Christ that night that he was born in Bethlehem.
You know, there's something that strikes me about Simeon. Out
of all the people that we read of in the Christmas story, I think
it's Simeon who best understands the unique identity of the baby
Jesus. And so, as Simeon holds this precious gift of God in his
hands, his frail body is renewed with strength, as he looks to God
and as he prays, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now
dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for
revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Simeon knew that the message of God's love in Jesus Christ was
something that has to be shared with all people. It is a story that
has to reach every nation, every tribe. God was not settled to
distance himself from a self-centered rebellious, sinful humanity.
God was determined that he would come close to humanity. And so in
Jesus Christ, God gave to us Emmanuel, God with us. And the
good news for you and me this morning is that Jesus was not only the
Messiah for the Jewish people, but he's also the Messiah for you and
for me. He is the Messiah of the world. Jesus is a source
of light to the Gentiles and a source of glory to the descendents of
Abraham. Jesus came for all people of the earth, the rich, the
poor, the old, the young, the influential, and the oppressed.
And Simeon understands that Jesus came to bear the sins of the
world. And looking into Mary's face, Simeon sees a woman who is
overcome with joy as she looks at that little baby, that
newborn. She's overcome with love. But Simeon also knows
the future. He knows the future for that baby. And as he
looks into Mary's eyes, he sees a future of pain; a future of tears,
because Simeon knows that Jesus will lay down his life for the
salvation of all people.
What we celebrate at Christmas is not just the birth of a child; we
celebrate the birth of a Savior, the light of the world. Jesus
said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father expect through me." Jesus didn't say,
"I'm one of many ways. Choose your option."
Jesus said, "I am the way. I am the only way." And
the only way to experience God's gift of forgiveness and God's free
gift of eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Most of us really get into Christmas, don't we? We love all the
traditions associated with Christmas. We love the Christmas
cards, the Christmas carols; we love the parties, the gift
exchanges. And we love to think about that little child born in
Bethlehem. But sometimes I think we completely forget to think
about the very reason for Jesus' birth. And for most of us, our
celebrations at Christmas are really private affairs. Oh yes, we'll
include our family, at least our close family members. We'll
include our close friends, sometimes even our neighbors, but that's
about as far as we're willing to go. And most of us forget that we
are indeed God's specially-appointed instruments to proclaim the good
news that in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World has come.
This Christmas, this New Year, there is a question that we really
have to ask ourselves and that is this: If we don't tell the world
about Jesus, if we don't share the love of God with the people of the
world, who will? As one contemporary evangelist has said,
"It's all about people."
God sent his son Jesus Christ into the love because he loved us.
He loves the people of this world. And if there is one thing
that I can promise you today, it is that God loves you just as you
are. And in Jesus Christ, we see the most perfect demonstration
of God's love. Jesus gave his life on a cross to pay the price, to
pay the penalty for our sins - of all those things that we ever did
and ever will do that are contrary to God's will.
Forgiveness and the promise of eternal life, is only possible through
faith in the one who gave his life on the cross, the one who is with
us today, Emmanuel.
I can't celebrate Christmas without thinking about the cross. And you
know if you've ever doubted that God loves you, then I ask you to
look at that cross this morning. And I want you to think about
Jesus, because I believe that God's love was settled for you and me
on the cross. And today we can no longer question whether God
loves us because he proved it on the cross.
Last Friday, I had the privilege of walking with a family in their
moment of grief as they said goodbye to a mother and to a
grandmother. And as we said goodbye - as we mourned the loss of
one who touched so many lives, we found hope in knowing that through
faith in Jesus Christ we will have, and we do have, eternal life.
Jesus Christ came to show us the way to God, and the Christian has
hope when faced with death. We sang about that this morning:
"Good Christian friends rejoice, with heart and soul and voice,
now ye need not fear the grave, Jesus Christ was born to
save." We know that if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as
our Lord and as our Savior, that in death we enter into the eternal
presence of our God.
Centuries before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote, "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."
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the light of
the world. And standing at this moment in history, we have seen
the light. It is a light that pierces into the darkest corner
of this world. And if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, if
you believe in the claims that Jesus made, then you share the same
mandate that he gave to the disciples to go into the world and to
make disciples of all people.
A.B. Simpson was one of the great Presbyterian ministers of the 19th
century. He was a man who was passionate about sharing the love
of God with others, and every morning he would start his day in
prayer. And one morning a visitor in Mr. Simpsons' home awoke a
little earlier than Simpson had expected. And as the guest went
downstairs, he found Simpson in the study, in prayer. And
standing outside of the study, the guest observed as Simpson would
place his finger on a globe, and he would place his hand over that
country, and he would pray for the people of that country.
He would pray that they would come to know Jesus as their Lord and
their Savior. And then he would move the globe, and he would
touch another country. And he would place his hand there.
And he would pray for those people. And he went on and on like
this. You see, he was a man who understood that the gospel, the
message of God's love in Jesus Christ, is something that must be
shared with all people of the world. But then, toward the end
of his prayer, as he finished, he took that globe and he embraced
it. And he cried, and he wept for the many people who do not
yet know the name of Jesus Christ.
Simpsons' life was marked by passion, and that passion drove him to
kneel before the very throne of God every morning. And like
Billy Graham in our own generation, A. B. Simpson had a vision.
He had a dream to share the love of the Jesus Christ with every
nation on the earth. Simpson went on to be the founder of the Christian
and Missionary Alliance, one of the largest mission-sending
agencies of his day - a ministry that continues with us today.
I know that I've quoted Dr. Henrietta Mears several times from this
pulpit, but this morning, I think it's worth pondering words that she
said - one of her most well known statements. I marvel at her
life, because as the director of Christian Education at Hollywood
Presbyterian, she was perhaps the most influential Christian educator
in this country, in the last century. And although I never had
the privilege of knowing her - I think she died before I was born -
my life has been tremendously influenced by her ministry.
I constantly marvel at her vision, her burden to share the gospel of Jesus.
Toward the end of her life, Dr. Mears said this, "There is no
magic in small plans. When I think of my ministry, I think of
the world, and anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ,
nor of his will for my life." And the ministries that she
founded continue to thrive today.
As you look toward the New Year, I ask you to think about the many
ways that you can share the light of Jesus Christ with those that he
strategically places in your sphere of influence. You know, it's
still not too late to invite your neighbors over to share a meal.
Look for ways to share God's love. Invite a colleague from work to
our upcoming concert with Bob Bennett next Sunday. Invite a
neighbor. Make it a habit to pray for the people of the world
every day. And dare to embrace someone in their moment of
grief, in their moment of sorrow, and allow them see the love of
Jesus that is in you.
Ask God to give you a new vision for the people of this world who do
not yet know his Son. When Simeon held the infant Jesus in his
arms, we were given a picture of God's love for humanity. It's
a picture of the ultimate hugger, not Billy Graham, not A. B.
Simpson, not Dr. Henrietta Mears, but God himself - the Creator of
the universe - the Creator of your life and my life - a God who says,
"I love you, and I want to be in relationship with
you." And God continues to reach down and to touch humanity.
God's love is unconditional. But we must receive it. We
must accept it. Reach into the New Year without fear. And
no matter what happens to us this year, we know that we can find
comfort knowing that in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us.
When you've been touched by the Christ of Christmas, then you can't
help but see the world in a new light. And as the New Year
approaches, look into the world with the eyes of Simeon, and look for
opportunities to share the message of God's love. Jesus said,
"Let your shine light before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your father in heaven."