Dave spoke this morning from Luke 2:15-20, reminding us that babies are special, their new life and innocence giving us hope and pointing to the wonder and mystery of life. At Christmas, as we celebrate Christ’s birth, we celebrate also the mystery of the eternal God becoming a helpless baby, but we need to remember that Jesus is not only a helpless baby but God incarnate and reflect on the magnificence of deity.

We need to grow up in Christ (Eph 4:15), not content to stay gazing at the stable in Bethlehem, but understanding that this baby is God wrapped in human flesh. Wonder must give way to worship; we need to go beyond being charmed at the ‘cute baby’ and changed by the God who wants to live in us. If Christmas is only about the birth of a baby, the joy it brings is only temporary, but when we understand Jesus is the way to an eternal inheritance and everlasting life (1 Pet 1:3-4), our perspective is changed from admiration to adoration.

Jesus was worshipped as a baby by shepherds and wise men; as a man, He accepted worship from people (see the healings in Matt 8 & 9, Jn 9 and Mark 5), something only God is due. We need to recognise Jesus as God as well as man.

Growing up in faith means we understand something of the way God works and learn to stop fighting God, surrendering our lives and wills to Him. Growing up also means we know what God requires of us: the dedication of our whole lives to Him, and means we are prepared to go beyond decorations to dedication and beyond celebration to surrender.

The story is told of a children’s celebration where each child was required to hold up a letter spelling out the word ‘Christmas Love’. One child held the ‘M’ upside down, however, resulting in the sentence ‘Christ was love’. Christmas reminds us of Christ’s love and continuing, abiding presence with us. We worship not only a baby, but God Himself.

I love getting Christmas cards. A lot of people think they are a waste of time and money, but I really enjoy hearing from people (especially those who may live far away and not be in contact very often) and I love getting something through the letterbox which is not junk mail or bills, as well as having cards from those who live nearby. Christmas cards are a reminder that I still matter to people, that they are thinking of me at this time of year and that we are still connected, even if separated in other ways. People I used to go to school with, friends from university, former colleagues and friends from foreign countries all get in touch at this time of year, and I enjoy hearing their news. This year has brought news of moves, additions to the family (a lot of my friends are reaching the age of becoming grandparents, and it seems astonishing to me that their children, whom I remember being born, can now be old enough to have their own children!), some troubles (inevitably), but it is always good to hear of God’s faithfulness and help.

The Bible has many lists of names and it can be rather overwhelming at times to plough through these lists of genealogies or names which to us are unfamiliar and often unpronounceable! Today’s readings included Ezra 2, where the exiles returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, are listed. Wow, what a list! Pippa Gumbel, on this reading, commented, ‘The people were counted, because people count.’ For this reason, I always really like the lists of names in the Bible. They remind me, as do the Christmas cards sent each year and displayed in my house, that people count. Individuals matter. God knows each one of us by name.

Naming, Eugene Peterson says, ‘is a way of hoping.’ (‘Run With The Horses’, P 29) He goes on to remind us that ‘no child is just a child. Each is a creature in whom God intends to do something glorious and great. Who we are and will be is compounded with who God is and what He does.’ (ibid., P 32) At this time of year, our attention is focussed on one child, Jesus, whose name carries hope (‘He shall save His people from their sins’) and who is a visible reminder that God is always with us (‘Emmanuel’; listen to Matt Redman’s ‘His Name Shall Be’). But it’s worth remembering that each one of us also matter to God and that He knows each one of us by name.

Thanks to all who came to the pantomime at Dearne Playhouse and thanks to the fantastic cast who gave us a lot of laughs this afternoon. The ugly sisters took a fancy to two of our group, which was rather alarming to the two concerned!

Don’t forget our communion service tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m. and the carol service tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. This is always a good time to prepare for Christmas through carols old and new, readings, activities and a short Christmas message. Do come along and invite people to our ‘Morning Star’ carol service.

After almost two years of studying 1 Corinthians, tonight we looked back over all 16 chapters and thought about the things we have learned from this book.

1. People don’t really change very much, so the issues discussed by Paul are as relevant today as they were when he wrote to the Corinthian church. Division, worldliness, sexual immorality, lack of holiness, lack of tolerance, arrogance and empire-building go on today just as much as then. We should neither despair over this or assume that we have progressed from such sins! (see Eccl 1:9) Many of the topics discussed (meat offered as sacrifices to idols, women’s headcoverings etc.) may seem irrelevant to us, but the principles behind the topics – treating people with love and respect – remain very much relevant in our intolerant age.
2. Paul may be revered nowadays as a great apostle and author of much of the New Testament, but his own descriptions of how he felt (coming in ‘fear and trembling’) and his emphasis on the cross above worldly wisdom remind us that he was an ordinary man, and encourage us to serve God as he did. God uses ordinary people! (see 1 Cor 1:18-31)
3. We have to keep clearing away the irrelevant and non-essential to find the essentials of faith. The chapters on the centrality of the crucifixion and the resurrection to our faith are vital doctrine, but Paul is keen for us to see how everything ties in with this. He is not afraid to answer questions about issues which to us may seem arcane or outmoded, always going to the heart of issues, not being distracted by peripherals. We can easily be distracted by non-essentials, but must, to some extent, have ‘tunnel vision’, keeping the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ central to all we do.
4. Love has to be at the root of all we do and all we are. 1 Cor 13 remains the yardstick by which all our service and living are judged.
5. God’s love and faithfulness give us hope, even when we get things wrong. (1 Cor 1:8-9, Phil 1:6) The Corinthian church was far from perfect, but Paul (and God!) did not give up on them. We can be sure that the God who sees our hearts and motives will sort out our mistakes and enable good to come from everything. He is looking for humility and service, not arrogance and boastfulness.
6. God uses each one of us, valuing diversity and unity. The chapters on the church as a body and a family remind us constantly that we are all valuable, important and different! It’s not always easy to get on with each other, but the letter has much to teach us about mutual love, respect and honour.
7. Using spiritual gifts is a vital part of church life, but does not guarantee perfection! We need to see these gifts in operation in our churches, but must also recognise that these are gifts, not things we earn through our ‘spirituality’ or because we ‘deserve’ them.

Someone commented that we can never remember all we learn in a Bible study, and this is true. As we study God’s Word together, however, we are able to see things from different perspectives, have different light shed on issues, get to grapple with things we might not understand (or misunderstand) and learn the benefits of corporate study. God’s Word washes us (see Eph 5:25-26) and helps us to be clean; God’s Holy Spirit is able to bring to our remembrance things we have studied and learned so that God’s Word becomes alive and alight at the times we need it. It’s not enough to study simply for information or knowledge (see 1 Cor 8:1); we have to apply the knowledge we gain and obey the commands God gives us!

This weekend promises to be another busy one as Christmas is fast approaching!

On Thursday 15th December at 7:30 p.m., we have our final Bible study of the year. We have reached the end of our studies on 1 Corinthians and will be reviewing all we’ve learned from this long letter. Please have a look back over the 16 chapters and reflect on all we have discussed and come along prepared to share what God has said to you through this intensely spiritual and practical letter. What has God lit up for you? How has He challenged you? What do we do differently as a result of our studies? We’ll also be looking ahead to future Bible studies, so please let us know your thoughts about this too.

On Friday 16th December at 12 noon, the Salvation Army is hosting a Christmas buffet to which we are all invited (in their building on Straight Lane). We are thrilled that the good relationship we have with local churches continues and are looking forward to helping wrap presents and prepare food parcels next Tuesday (20th December, 9 a.m. – 12 noon). In the meantime, come along to share with God’s people and see how our support of the food bank has helped so many local families throughout the year.

On Saturday 17th December, we have our coffee morning as usual (10 a.m. – 12 noon) and immediately after that, will be giving out invitations to the carol service, posting these through letterboxes and giving them out to local people. Please come along to church to help with this. At 1.30 p.m., those of us who are going to the pantomime will be leaving church to walk down to Dearne Playhouse to see ‘Cinderella.’ Please pray for all the children from the Monday Night Youth who are coming with us (22 of them!), for safety, protection and a fun-filled afternoon!

On Sunday 18th December, the communion service in the morning starts at 10.30 a.m. and our carol service will be at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the evening service, so please bring along mince pies, Christmas cake, chocolate logs and any other tasty things for us to share!

Please pray for all these events: for good conversations about Christ everywhere we go, for courage and boldness to invite our friends, family and neighbours to church services and most of all for God to be glorified in all we do and for people to find salvation and new birth in Him.

Dave spoke this evening from Gal 4:4-5, reminding us that God’s timing is always perfect. He is never late, and the birth of Jesus demonstrates God’s perfect timing yet again.

When?

Jesus was born at the right time to fulfil the prophecies made about Him. Culturally, the rule of Alexander the Great meant that the Greek language travelled through the whole world, facilitating the spread of Christianity. Politically, the Roman empire meant that roads were prepared and the pax Romana meant freedom of travel so that the gospel could be spread at this time. God prepared the whole world for the arrival of His Son!

What?

The birth of Jesus is frequently referred to as the Incarnation, meaning that God Himself took on human nature. John 1:1-14 makes it clear that Jesus (the ‘Word’) is God and yet ‘became flesh’. Luke 1:26-38 describes the angel’s message to Mary that this baby would be conceived by the Holy Spirit; Matt 1:18-25 gives us the story from Joseph’s perspective, showing us that the birth of Jesus was like no ordinary baby’s, since He was sinless. The virgin birth is an essential doctrine to grasp, for we see that we have a Saviour who both understands and shares our humanity and yet who is totally pure and without sin.

Why?

God cannot tolerate sin in any shape or form; Adam and Eve’s disobedience meant that they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, from God’s presence. Jesus obeyed the law fully and died in place of sinful man so that we can be drawn back into a relationship with a holy God. Jesus, the Son of God, became man so tahat we, the children of man, can become children of God.

God works in time and there is a ‘right time’ for us all to receive Him as Saviour. Paul reminds us that ‘now’ is the day of salvation, the day of God’s favour (2 Cor 6:2). We do well to receive Him now!