Notes From Sunday's Sermon

I had the privilege of preaching at the 8:30 worship service yesterday and preaching live in the VERGE worship service in the chapel at 9:45. Preaching in the chapel took me back in time to the days when we worshiped each week over there.

I just wanted to leave you with a few summary thoughts from yesterday's sermon and invite any feedback you may wish to make. I would love to hear stories about how you make Christmas spiritually significant each year. Maybe we can learn from one another some new ways to enhance our journey to Bethlehem this year

Experiencing Bethlehem

Luke 2:10-20

Opening Question: What is it in your life that needs to change?

Every year people journey to a birthplace -- Bethlehem. Bethlehem can be a life changing experience. It was for the shepherds. It can be for you and me. You and I long for a Savior. Everybody does, whether they admit it or not. The shepherds did too. As children of Abraham, they belonged to God's chosen people, but God's people had wandered so far from Him that God had allowed Israel and Judah to be conquered. For hundreds of years there was a disconnect between the people of God and God. During the time of Caesar Augustus, the people of God longed for a Messiah, a savior who would reconcile them to God and who would restore God's kingdom.

Then the announcement came! God's word was spoken through the angel-- "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you! He is Christ the Lord!" The shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem in response to the Good News (gospel) and found things to be exactly as they had been told. It was a life changing event. They would never be the same.

No matter who you are, what you have done, or what burden you are carrying, you too can journey to Bethlehem and be changed. But there is only one path to take that will enable you to have such an experience.

The first stop on this pathway is a garden. In this garden, you see an empty cave and learn that this empty cave was a burial place. Ironic that your journey to a birthplace must first take you to a burial place. What message does this empty burial place tell? It declares that that which was once dead inside of the cave is now alive. The garden reveals that whatever is dead in your life and needs changing can be made alive!

The second stop along this pathway is on a hill. What you see on this hill is not a pretty sight. In fact it is downright ugly. What you see is death. For some this is as far as they go on the journey to Bethlehem. It's too gruesome and too difficult to watch. But if you want to experience the true joy of Bethlehem this is the only path you can take, and you must stop here. It is a good thing that the first stop was the garden. You need to know the message of the garden that says that any one's life can change, regardless of what needs changing. Now you stand on this hill at the second stop, and the hill's message says that in order to change you must die. It is here on this hill that you must kneel before the one who is dying your death on the cross and confess your sins, repenting from them, and giving complete control of your life to Him as Lord. This is where you lay whatever is dead in your life down -- your sins, your marriage, your employment, your attitude, your addictions, etc. -- so that you and that which is dead in your life can be made alive again!

When this is done, you arrive at the next stop -- Bethlehem, and when you peer over into the manger, you see a Savior, a tiny baby, but you also see your new birth. Bethlehem becomes your birthplace! This is the joy of Bethlehem. This is how you can experience a Bethlehem of significance.

Every year people journey to a birthplace. Depending on the route they take, Bethlehem can be their own birthplace. Don't let this year's journey to Bethlehem be an insignificant one. Don't go through the motions. Instead go down the correct route -- the path that will change your life!