Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7
But He (Jesus) said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner and he invited many, and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ … And the slave came back and reported this to the master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame….”
Luke 14:16-21
I think Jesus wants us to not overlook anyone when we go out to preach the Gospel.
About fourteen years ago I finally finished my undergraduate degree and what surprised me when I was taking classes was the vast spiritual wasteland college campuses have become. The majority of the students and the faculty freely admitted that they did not practice any religion and were unsure that there was a God. Many were devoid of any shred of mercy toward others and believed that people got what they deserved. These are the people who thought they would become the leaders in our society and some of them no doubt will be.
Where does this leave the ministry of the Church? It leaves the Church the work of taking the Gospel to the campus and at the same time ministering to those in need and perhaps, marrying the two by creating opportunities for students to participate in the ministry by helping provide meals to the poor, tutoring children, and doing other service projects which involve contact with people in need. Yes, it is wonderful to clean up a river or a park or to build a bear habitat, but those activities often do not include contact with people who are in need. It is our contact with people which helps us understand mercy and grace and all those things which are available only through Jesus.
So, when we throw a party or plan a special event at Church we should take the lead and invite those who don’t come to our Church or who look like they might not fit into our group and roll out the welcome wagon and the Good News of the Gospel.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all….
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix all your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be Holy, for I am Holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-1
People sometimes say they don’t want to be Christians because they will have to give up too much – meaning give up their sinful lifestyles which they know are sinful. What they don’t realize is that there is so much to gain from becoming a Christian, that the old lifestyle is not missed. Once we make up our minds to change, the rest comes easy.
It is easier to be holy than to be sinful.
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace among men, with whom He is pleased.”
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about the Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
Luke 2:1-20
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the City of Nazareth, to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem… in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in cloths, and laid Him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8.
At Christmas time, the world is full of seekers: people seeking the perfect gift, charities seeking donations, children seeking Santa Claus, and people seeking to escape from too much Christmas.
While it is enjoyable to celebrate and to give and receive gifts, we should remember that Jesus came to be found. We want to give non-believers an opportunity to find Jesus, the ultimate Christmas gift.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
Mark 1:3
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:18-21.
What is so remarkably human about Jesus’ birth is that his earthly foster father, Joseph, was a good but practical man. He did not want to embarrass Mary, but he also did not want to embarrass himself. He made a sensible plan, but it was not God’s plan. Joseph upon hearing God’s plan, yielded his will to God’s will.
So, it was that Jesus was not put away quietly, but came to earth with great fan fair and a future which turned the world upside down.
I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
John 10:11
At Christmas and Easter churches are filled with people who only come to church for those two occasions and sometimes the regular attenders get a little bent out of shape because they may crowd them out of their regular seats.
And, Pastors sometimes make snide remarks about being glad to see all the visitors and that they will see them again at Easter.
All these Christmas and Easter people are a good thing. It is a great opportunity for them to hear the Gospel and for us to extend the hand of Christian fellowship to them.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He gave up His life for us. The least we can do is willing give up our seats for His sheep.
So, get ready to celebrate Christmas with everyone who comes to worship the new born King.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11-12
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Mitch Albon in his book The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto (Harper Collins, 2015) wrote: “… when a higher power has a plan for you, life can be full of near misses.”
We tend to regard near misses of bad things as good for us and near misses of good things as bad for us, but what if both play equally into God’s plans?
This makes us reconsider how we are doing, doesn’t it? Perhaps when we think we are not doing too well, we are doing better than we think. God has a plan and we are part of it.
In this same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:17-20
The promises of God never change. He is the one who brings us hope and cares for us. We are never abandoned or forgotten.
We have hope and this hope is the anchor of the soul.
Be brave. Be encouraged. God is with you.
Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal, but the word of God is not imprisoned.
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
2 Timothy 2:7-13
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:37
For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; not for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
Matthew 6:25-26
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing.”
Luke 15:4-5
All of us are precious to God. He seeks us, he woos us, and when he finds us he rejoices. It does not matter to God if we are rich or poor. The ground at the foot of the cross is level, and Jesus finds joy in knowing every one of us.
You are loved by God.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
Christianity is awash in baloney that is spouted as truth. It may come from the media or friends or from the pulpit on Sunday morning. We are warned to test the information we are given, the ultimate test is what the Bible says. If it does not square with the Bible, then disregard it.
We need to guard our hearts and minds against false teachings and fill our hearts and minds with the love Jesus and the truth of the Bible.
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up, You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.
Psalm 139:1-10.
It is true. God knows us. He always protects us. He will never leave us. In the best of times and in the worst of times He is the God who is there.
And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
1 Peter 3:16
The critics are out there, and they are waiting for you. So, give them something to criticize, do some good - feed the poor, buy school supplies for a kid, pickup the trash in your neighborhood, bring back the neighbor's trash can from the curb, and do it all with a smile.
Nothing says I have the love of God in my life better than being criticized for doing good.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
Proverbs 3:27
One of the best parts of being a Christian is to be able to unashamedly say something nice. This can be employed anytime we see that someone who is down in the dumps.
When I was working as a jewelry sales person, I had a co-worker who was always getting roughed up by the boss and other workers. She was no Mary Sunshine. She was crabby most of the time, but I liked working with her.
One day she said, “Nobody likes me here."
I replied, “I like you. I like working with you. You know everything. You help me out when I ask. And, you don’t steal my sales.”
She smiled and I was blessed.
If you meet your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him.
Exodus 23:4
Doing something nice for an enemy is contrary to human nature. The very idea of it makes us uncomfortable and maybe defensive. We worry about what if the person takes it wrong and it makes them mad. My favorite is when it’s somebody I don’t know and I try to help them by pointing out that they are driving way from the Seven Eleven with a sixty-four ounce drink on top of their car, and they return the favor by waving in an unfriendly manner.
The
scripture says we still got to do it – return the ox and hope for
the best, or return the ox and run away fast. It’s not about how
our actions are received, it’s about showing mercy.
…Jesus said to her, “Where are they? Did no one condemn you? She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
John 8:10-11
People who thought they were perfect pointed out sinners to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to approve their punishment of sinners. Jesus did the opposite. He handed out forgiveness.
Jesus is not looking for perfect people or good people or good enough people. Jesus is looking for sinners who recognize that they are sinners, repent and declare Him to be Lord, Master and Savior.
We are not condemned. We are forgiven. And, therefore, we should do less condemning and more forgiving.
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them…. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24
“My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me….”
John 10:27
Jesus speaks plainly regarding His care for us like a shepherd for his sheep. In a world of changing morality, His is the voice of reason; a constant reminder that in the long run, His way is the easy way.
Listen for the voice of Jesus.
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9
We all know what happens when someone either intentionally or unintentionally ticks us off. We instantly get mad and start running our mouths saying all sorts of things which we later regret. Or, worse yet, we get bumped into and nobody says, “Excuse me.” And, we end up wrestling around and somebody gets hurt.
How about we have a de-escalation day and see what happens? We can start by counting to ten and giving everybody the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they really did not mean to do what they did, and even if they did, well then we are just going to ignore it.
We are called to bless, now let’s do it.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.”
Mark 16:15
We don’t have to be sad sacks to take the Gospel to the world. There are evangelist doing extreme sports, trick bike riding, rodeo demonstrations, strong man shows, juggling and clowning, and preaching the Gospel, and as a result people come to know Jesus as their Lord, Master and Savior.
Now, go have fun and preach the Gospel.
