| Welcome to Christmas Eve at Lakeview Church!
I love Christmas Eve. This is the best night of the year to get your family together and come to meet with God. It’s awesome that you’re here.
For the past 3 weeks here at Lakeview we’ve been using just a few words that Jesus spoke to His followers to learn how we can live more like He wants us to. Tonight we’re gonna wrap up this Christmas month with these words from Jesus. He said “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” As soon as I read that line I had just one thought: I thought about kids.
You know, children are the most pure in heart of anyone I know. They seek happiness and joy above all things and their lives and hearts aren’t clogged up with concerns for budgets or bills or pressures or the stress of life. I think because of that, kids are filled with wonder and expectation easier than us. Especially at Christmas, kids seem to be stuffed with that kinda wonder-filled awe and because of that I think they probably can see God clearer than most of us do because their hearts are actually more pure than ours and their lives are a wee bit less frantic.
I read this week of a guy who writes books based on how kids see God. He just uses kids quotes about God. Listen to some of the kids’ comments to God:
Dear GOD,
In school they told us what You do. Who does it when You are on vacation? – Jane
Dear GOD,
Are you really invisible or is that just a trick? – Lucy
Dear GOD,
Is it true my father won’t get in Heaven if he uses those words in the house? – Anita
Dear GOD,
Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? – Norma
Dear GOD,
Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don’t You just keep the ones You have now? – Jane
Dear GOD,
Who draws the lines around the countries? – Nan
Dear GOD,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? – Neil
Dear GOD,
Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. –Joyce
Dear GOD,
I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool! – DJ
Dear GOD,
My brother is a rat. You should give him a tail. Ha ha. – Danny
Dear GOD,
You don’t have to worry about me. I always look both ways. – Dean
Dear GOD,
I think about you sometimes even when I’m not praying. – Elliott
In some ways when Jesus said “blessed are the pure in heart,” that’s the kinda pure in heart faith He was talking about. Children’s faith is always hope-filled and wonder-filled and very real moment by moment and they never doubt God.
Some friends of ours has a kid that had some trouble with his eyes and when we told our kids about that eye trouble Kash started to pray everyday and every meal and every night for his buddy’s eyes to get better. Kash is only 8 years old but his faith in God to help his buddy’s eyes is really quite remarkable. And he’s not gonna quit asking God until it changes, and so until that happens it’s every breakfast and lunch and supper and bedtime; “Dear God” and his faith never waivers. Kash’s faith is hope-filled, wonder-filled and very real moment by moment faith.
You know when I was a kid, Christmas kinda had that wonder–filled hopeful sense of awe around our house as well. Christmas where I grew up was amazing with so many traditions around that season. Being from a farm/small town/back in the sticks place meant:
1. Cutting Christmas trees. We would stomp around in knee-deep snow for hours just to find the right one and then we’d drag it home and if Mom didn’t like it we’d go again.
2. Our whole family would spend a complete day baking cookies and making chocolates. An awesome day and what a mess the kitchen was with four boys baking at the same time and Boney M’s Christmas album cranked up in the background. Awesome memories and 40 lbs of chocolates.
3. We always had large extended family gatherings and neighbours would just drop by for a visit and the food would come out and us kids would play and play and play. Awesome.
4. We would go to the toboggan hill at least one day during Christmas. It was the best hill ever and we would skate and snowmobile and play board games late into the night.
Christmas when I was a child was full of these great events and traditions but also quiet moments listening to Christmas music and just sitting by the tree. It was never really Christmas until Bing Crosby’s Christmas songs were played and I just watched the lights sparkle as I listened.
For me as a kid, Christmas was always filled with wonder and these almost magical moments where life and faith and family all came together all at once and you just felt a deep peace.
Tomorrow by noon almost my whole extended family will be together for a week or so. We are spread out all over the world. Even though my brothers and I are adults now and mom and dad are older, my hope is that we will watch our kids because they will be able to actually see God closer in these next days than we all can.
They will bask in the wonder of it all and live their life and faith moment by moment this week as the adults will be planning the next event!
I gotta ask you, as a kid, didn’t we all know deep down in our gut/heart that there was a magical part of Christmas that just couldn’t be man-made? Didn’t we know that God was all over it? Didn’t we have that sense as kids?
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Blessed are those with child-like faith for they shall see God. How do you see God? I mean, wouldn’t that be amazing to have the kinda faith that would recognize God quicker in our lives than we do and in the world around us?
Another version of Jesus’ words puts what He said like this:
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world (your heart & mind) put right with God. Then you can see God in the outside world.” (Matthew 5:8)
Isn’t that a great line and isn’t that what each of us really wants this Christmas Eve? Don’t we want our inside world, our hearts and our minds, put right with God?
It seems especially at Christmas we long for all the things that are out of tune in our lives to get put right, to get back in tune. At Christmas we want the cracks in our relationships to just get fixed. And at Christmas we want our marriages to work and we really do want to get along with our parents and we really do want to be able to relax just for a few days about our money or our work or our particular addiction. We just want some of the turmoil or pressure that we feel inside of us, in our inside world, to just get lined up and tuned in and set right again. Don’t we?
Especially on this night we just want some peace inside and to watch the candles and to feel the presence of God deep in our souls.
Every one of us wants that blessing this Christmas Eve. We want to see and feel God and that’s why we’re here.
And the best part about doing this job on Christmas Eve is being able to tell you what I’m gonna say next. The whole reason it all happened that first Christmas, the whole reason Jesus was born and that the Wise Men and shepherds and 10,000 angels celebrated His birth, the whole reason He came to this earth was so we could actually get our inside worlds put right and lined up and tuned in. That’s why He came.
Thousands of years before Jesus was born this is what the prophet Isaiah said about Jesus:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; and on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9: 2, 6
The people, us, who walk in darkness in their inside world will see a great light. For unto us a child is born. One of the other ancient names given to Jesus is the name Immanuel meaning “God is with us” -that God actually became a human and desires to walk beside us every day of our lives. These words, “God is with us”, that is the whole deal with Christmas and Immanuel is the only way for us to get right and tuned in on the inside of our lives.
People I gotta tell you, when you engage your inside life with Jesus and when God really is with you as you walk through your life and when you take steps to activate your faith on the inside, everything changes. Everything changes in and around you inside and outside.
That’s the message of Christmas Eve: God is not far off at all.
He is very near and much closer than you might think, and His only reason for coming as a baby – His goal - was to give you the blessing of a pure heart – the blessing of your inside world being put right. So, how do you get that done?
I mean, spiritually, how is God really with us? How do we get God inside our lives this Christmas? Well, not unlike little kids and not unlike the shepherds and the Wise Men that first Christmas, we simply have to respond to Jesus by trusting and receiving Him on the inside of our lives by opening up our souls to His presence.
Children are great trusters. They trust easily and quickly, and they are much better than we are at it. I remember when Kaden, our 10 year old, was two or three years old. The kids were jumping off a dock at the lake and he was a bit scared so I just came a little closer and said, “I’ll catch you for sure,” and in an instant he jumped. In an instant he trusted.
Children are also better receivers than we are. Just try to give them a gift or two this Christmas and then try and take those gifts away. I mean, our kids have the grip of death on their presents and once they’ve received them they are locked and loaded. They receive very well. There’s a verse in the Bible I want you to hear.
“Yet to all who receive him (Jesus), to those who believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God.” All you need to do is trust Him to save you.” John 1:12
So, my message to you is pretty simple tonight on Christmas Eve. If you want to see God and if you want to get your inside world set right and tuned in this Christmas and if we want “God with us” this Christmas, then it starts with trusting and receiving. Catch this next part:
Following Jesus, being a Christian, is not nearly as complicated as it might seem. And getting your inside world put right with God is not as hard as you might think either, but it takes a step of faith. This week as I prepared I kinda just knew I was supposed to show you how to take that faith step. This is what God wants me to say, I think. So here goes if you want the blessing of a pure heart and if you want your inside world to get right with God this Christmas.
Trust and receive and walk. 3 words.
1. Trust God enough to turn to Him from your own way of living.
Following God inside is really all about the direction of your heart and so to follow him, first we must trust him enough to turn in his direction.
2. Receive, and invite Jesus to come into your life and to forgive your sins. Even if you’ve been following or trying to follow him for years, make it fresh tonight. Jesus, come into my heart. Take my inside world and make it right. Forgive me. Trust and receive.
3. Walk, and allow God to begin to direct your life. No matter where you’ve been before tonight, or this year or the last 10 years, all God wants is your heart in this moment. Trust – Receive – Walk.
“Yet to all who receive him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gives the right to become children of God.” All you need to do is trust Him to save you. John 1:12
I have walked with literally thousands of people through this faith step and every time I do there’s just a wee hesitation right here and that’s called Faith. And it is a step, it’s a decision - not a feeling.
This might help. There are 3 categories of Faith in this room:
1 2 3
I don’t have my inside world put right with God I would like to have my inside world right with God I have my inside world right with God and I live for Him
Which category are you in? Where would you like to be this Christmas?
Let me tell you, if you are in Category two and you want in this moment to get your inside world set right you can begin your relationship with God right now by receiving Jesus by faith. Trust. Receive. Walk.
If you can express your faith through prayer, in a moment, I’m gonna pray and if you want to get your inside world set right with God on Christmas eve, pray with me.
Dear God, I know that you came to this earth to help me be able to find you. God, help me get my inside life – my heart and my mind - set right with you. Jesus you alone know the parts of me that are out of tune, would you please forgive me and line up my heart with yours. I ask you to come into my life in a fresh way right now. Please begin to direct my life and give me the courage to walk with you.
In the next few moments we will light candles and sing. Here are the rules:
Bend your unlit candle to the lit one
Watch the kids
Watch the hairspray
Sing with us and I’ll pray
The symbol of the candles is that Jesus is the light of the world. As you take his light, receive Him into your life (inside) and then pass his light to those around you. I’ll take the light of Christmas and pass it to you.
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