So Many Today Fall In Love With an Idea But They Miss the Reality that is the foundation for the Idea….

How many have fallen in love with the idea of Christmas, but they have excluded the one, who wants to have a personal relationship with them, that this season is actually celebrating.

It’s like going to someone’s birthday party and totally ignoring the birthday person… instead of giving gifts to the birthday person, everyone gives gifts to one another and give no gifts to the person that the party is all about. There’s love and joy all around, but no love for the Birthday person, even though it’s their time to enjoy our adoration and appreciation. You might say, “who in the world would ever do that”, but we do it year after year with Jesus, who came at Christmas to redeem us and transform our lives.

Jesus is pushed back, behind the Christmas trees, the wrapping paper and ribbons, the parties, the decorations, Santa Clause, the shopping malls and all the commercialization of the season of His birth. Not exactly what He had in mind, when He emptied Himself of His divinity and took on the form of a baby laid in a container that the cattle and camels ate out of, in a barn for the animals.

The life of Jesus began with birth and ended in death and this happens to all human beings and will happen to us, our lives began with birth and will end in death. No one is getting out of here alive, but we are born and choose to live and not die. We want to put the event of death off as long as we possibly can.

But Jesus was born and chose to die and not live. All the Roman soldiers put together could not have made Him die, if He had not chosen to die. But He wanted so much, to give us a second chance, a chance to experience the transforming power of His salvation, that the bible says, “He actually counted it all joy, to endure the cross and the shame”, so we could be joined back to the Father and we could live forever as God originally intended, before sin entered into the world and death by sin….

The Birthday of Jesus is the pivotal point in the life of every believer, and all creation, because it is the doorway through which eternity was restored to us. Eternities before a little baby was given the name Jesus, He was the Word…that created all things, He was the second person of the Godhead, and still is…He alone was able to create for us a second chance by breaking the power of the curse. It is something we will be celebrating thousands of years from now, with Christ in His kingdom, when time is no more and a new heavens and earth have become a reality.

Yes, we love the God Idea of Christmas, but we love the eternal covenant between God and man, which came with and was embedded in the song of angels….”Peace on Earth, Good Will To Men”….

Many folks become enamored with the idea of serving, because it’s the thing you are supposed to do at this season of the year, but it doesn’t make it from January through November…..

Jesus was the ultimate servant and though He was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he humbled himself and became a servant. There are many who serve for reasons that are ulterior, they serve to get noticed, they serve out of obligation, they serve to get accepted socially, they serve to look spiritual, and some believe that salvation is based on their works of service. Jesus told His disciples that the “greatest among them were those who were the servants of all” but He also told them

Matthew 6:2 “Therefore when you bring your gift, do not do it for recognition, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. For I say unto you, They have their reward”. (it’s the only reward they are going to get)

I believe that lots of things in this world have shifted and become repositioned, because God truly became one of us in Jesus. I believe that things such as free education, the abolition of slavery, the notion of the equal dignity of every human being, that there is no distinction between Jew and gentile, slave or free, male or female, and various civil rights movements that have come about, all began in the servant spirit of Jesus. A person may not like Jesus, but no one can ignore the effect He has had upon the world we live in!

I believe that when this baby grew up and touched and healed the leper and ate with the tax collectors and the prostitutes that God was touching and serving as He sat and ate with people like us. …. The true servant does not start with an external concept, but instead, operates from an inner passion which springs out of an inner transformation. God does His best miracles through ordinary, simple servants like Mary and Joseph—and like you and me!

We have the power to do amazing things . . . if we are willing to sacrifice some of our own comfort for the good of others. God is not as interested in our comfort as He is that we be conformed to His image.

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter: Dear Ruth, I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit. Love Always, Jesus!

Well, Ruth was amazed that the Lord would want to visit her. I'm nobody special, she thought. I don't have anything to offer." Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. And thought to herself, “I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted Five dollars and forty cents. She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving her with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. But still, she felt good as she headed home, her meager supplies held tightly in hand. "Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed as best they could to keep warm. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him." "Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest, He should certainly understand." She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife speaking, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the car, without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!" they continued to call it out to her… Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and she was worried because Jesus was coming and she didn’t know what she would serve Him. She noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the mailbox and opened it. It said “Dear Ruth: It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat. Love Always, Jesus.” PS….As you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me….Matthew 25: 40

We’re talking about how folks fall in love with an idea and completely miss the reality…..Many fall in love with the Idea of marriage instead of the beauty and reality of what being married truly is.

They believe if Cinderella can find her prince charming, everything will be magic castles, fantasy land, and all their mountains will have Cool Whip on top, and their valleys will be the Garden of Eden….Then they wake up one morning and find instead that they are Goofy and the Ice Witch and their family is a cross between the “walking dead” and the Munsters.

Marriage is not just an event, but it is a system of values, principles and attitudes. When a couple says “I Do” to the preacher, that should mean, I will help you unpack your baggage if you’ll help me unpack mine!

After the terrible event of Columbine, where families were torn apart with the tragic and horrible violence of that day….One of the students who experienced that momentous day, wrote the following…. “The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; We spend more, but have less; We buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses, but smaller families; More conveniences, but less time; We have more degrees, but less sense; More knowledge, but less judgment; More experts, but more problems; More medicine, but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; We’ve added years to life, but not life to our years. We’ve been to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted our souls; We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of tall men and short character; Steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic violence and abuse; We have more leisure, but less fun; There are more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; Of fancier houses, but more broken homes”.

Next I want to look at the fact that we often fall in love with The idea of Christianity instead of the transforming reality of Christianity. It’s kind of like saying I love horseback riding but I don’t like horses, or I love swimming, but I don’t like the water!

Paul says in Philippians 3:9 “That I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: v10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings”.

What we see instead is…The Self-centered view “I’m looking out for number one!” or the Exclusive view “I’m looking for people who are just like me.” Then there is the Licentious view “I do whatever I feel like doing, if it feels good do it!”

There’s the Fragmented view “Why don’t we just all pursue our own thing.”

Then you have the Impotent view “Our problems seem unsolvable and the answer unattainable, so what does it matter."

There is the Suspicious view, “Everybody has an angle, so what’s your angle?…”

and last we have the Hollow view “I get whatever I want – but I still, always have this empty feeling.”

We must realize that without having our thought life governed by the word of God, our thinking gets out of line with God’s thinking, and we spend most of our lives doing things contrary to what is really best for us. God was communicating, but we were not on His wave link. We were tuned to other things. Without ongoing communication, we’re headed for a heap of trouble.

When couples fight, it’s because there is a lack of communication, and each one is operating on a different channel than the other. When communication breaks down in a marriage so do many other things. The husband and wife are out of harmony, trust gives way to suspicion, there is no peace in the home, they become at odds with one another, they imagine evil things, and the relationship becomes hostile. Lack of communication brings about error, and makes us easy prey to deception…We give into evil desires…The carnal mind takes over….We cop out by telling God that everybody else is doing it …

Because we were alienated from God, we became strangers to His way of thinking and we became enemies of God in our own thinking. Sin corrupted our way of thinking about God. Wrong thinking leads to further sin, which perverts and destroys our thoughts about GOD. When we are out of harmony with God our natural condition was to be totally hostile to His standards and values.

Gandhi, who brought about non-violent revolution in India, is quoted as saying “Christianity would be a great system of belief if it weren’t for the Christians who claim it”

If the Lord asked you, "Do you love me?"

You might answer, "Of course, Jesus! You are my Lord and Savior!" Then He might ask, "If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?" You might look down at your arms, legs and the rest of your body and wondered how many things you wouldn't be able to do, the things that you took for granted. And you might answer, "It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You."

Then, He might say, "If you were blind, would you still love my creation?" Well, how could you love something without being able to see it? But if you thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. You would probably answer, "It's hard to think of it, but I would still love you, Lord." The Lord might then ask, "If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?" Well, how could you listen to anything if you were deaf? Then you understand, that listening to God's Word is not merely using your ears, but your heart and His Spirit. And you answer,"It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word, Lord." Then the Lord might ask,"If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?" Well, Lord how could I praise, without a voice? But it occurs to you that God wants you to sing from your very heart and soul and it never matters what you sound like, and praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our silent words of thanks. So you answer,"Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name, Lord. But then the Lord might ask you, "Do you really love Me?" And you answer boldly, "Yes Lord! I loveYou, because You are the one and true God and You alone know my deepest needs and desires!" But God asks you, "If YOU LOVE ME, THEN WHY DO YOU DISOBEY ME?" "Why are you ashamed of Me? Why aren’t you spreading the good news? Why do you make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?"

" I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you use them only for your own self. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not grow and develop in my knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you went your own way. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all, but you do not thank and praise me." "DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?" But we could give no excuse and we had no answer. What could we say to this? Except "Please forgive me Lord."

And the Lord would answer, ”you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry you. I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever. Because that is what Grace is about, My child."

And He would stretch out His arms, as we see His nail-pierced hands.

Let me say, next, that many are in love with the idea of Church without the understanding of what that really means…They can quote the scriptures…. Matthew_16:18 “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. We know about the 7 churches of Revelation chapter 2; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and the Laodiceans.

We know that Jesus compares his love for the church to the relationship between a husband and wife…

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, v26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, v27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish”.

But in some places, we put the brakes on when it comes to being the church…..Someone said that until those inside the church, try to view things like those outside the church, then those outside the church will never know what it is to view things like those inside the church…. Take the “go” out of the gospel, and you just keep spelling out and reviewing religious stuff.

The bible emphasis was more on being the right kind of church, instead of constantly looking to find the right kind of church….This Changes Everything.

So, what does that church look like? Acts 4:21 “for they glorified God for that which was done. v32-35 And all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” This tells us that….

1. It was United. “All the believers were one in heart and mind” 2. It did not have materialistic stuff as it’s priority. “No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own” 3. It was Selfless. “but they shared everything they had in common.” 4. It was Energized. “With great power they gave witness” 5. It was Life-tested and life-centered. “they testified daily” 6. It was Focused. “on the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus” 7. It was open and Inclusive. “They were of one heart and of one soul” 8. It was Spiritual. “for they glorified God for that which was done” “and great grace was upon them all.” 9. It was Healthy and Whole. “There were no needy persons among them. For those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

We all have needs. There are no exceptions, and we all have blessings. Again, no exceptions. That is how Jesus’ built His Church, otherwise known as ‘the Body of Christ’ – a place where one member of the Body can use his or her blessing to minister to the need of another. He calls it the body that is fitly joined together and equipped by that which every member supplies.

Your supply is provided and comes according to not only your own needs, but the needs of those around you….whither it be faith, connections, provision, finances or relationships. We are joined for the good and blessing of one another in the bonds of Christ.

We are not just in love with a great idea, but we are in love with the greatest reality, the greatest hope, the greatest way of living, the greatest truth, the greatest destination, and the greatest love of all in Jesus our Lord and Savior!!!!