"Finding A Different Way Home"
Sermon Transcript for December 22, 2002 By Rev. Mike Beck
Children’s letters to Santa always make for interesting reading. Let me share a couple of letters with you:
"Dear Santa: There are three little boys that live at our house. There is Jeffrey. He is two and has been good some of the time. There is David. He is four and has been good most of the time. And there is Norman. He is seven and has been good all of the time." Signed, Norman!
Another one went like this: "Dear Santa: You did not bring me anything good last year. You did not bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance." Signed, Alfred!
I didn’t have that kind of boldness when I was a kid. But Alfred’s letter brings up a good point: What can we do when we learn that we’re not measuring up? Is there any hope for another opportunity? Or are we doomed by our past failures?
That’s the major question addressed by Charles Dickens in "A Christmas Carol". So as we continue our journey from humbug to hallelujah, we reach the turning point in the story where Scrooge is faced with the ultimate consequences of his humbug life. The Ghost of Christmas Future arrives and shows Scrooge his destiny. It’s a rather frightening scene as Scrooge sees what the future holds…unless things change. The climax brings Scrooge to a church graveyard. Let’s watch…
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When Scrooge mustered up the courage to view the tombstone to which the Ghost of Christmas Future pointed, he cried out, "Spirit! Hear me! Why show me this if I am past hope? Assure me that I may change these shadows you have shown me by an altered life." In effect, Scrooge is asking if he can write a different ending to his life story. And perhaps some of you are asking that same question this morning. And as we recall Scrooge looking at his tombstone, it’s good for us to realize that date hasn’t been inscribed yet on our tombstone. The future isn’t set in stone! Like Scrooge, our choices can make the ending of our "Christmas Carol" different. Like the Wise Men in our Scripture lesson for today, we can choose to "find a different way home!"
How do we do that? Let me quickly suggest three principles from God’s Word that provide a road map for a different way.
Accept the Truth About Ourselves. The first step is this; we need to honestly accept the truth about ourselves. One of the most memorable mornings I ever spent was when a friend of mine asked me to attend his AA meeting with him. I came away from that meeting wishing that there was as much acceptance and honesty in the church as I saw in that meeting. Every one who spoke had to begin their comments by saying, "My name is ____"; and then they’d give their name, followed by these words, "And I am an alcoholic."
The change in Scrooge’s life took place only after Jacob Marley and the spirits who visited revealed to Scrooge the painful truth about who he was and what he had become. Scrooge did not like what he saw. But being confronted with painful truth was the necessary first step to a brighter future. And the same is true for us. The only way to fulfill God’s highest and best purpose for our life is to face reality as fully and truthfully as possible. Remembering the words of Jesus in John 8:32, he said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But let me add this important addendum to Jesus’ words: While the truth may set you free at first, it may make you miserable! It’s not always easy to be brought face-to-face with the reality about how we are living our lives. Many people assume that Jesus only spoke words of comfort for the afflicted. But we must realize that Jesus’ words at times were intended to "afflict the comfortable". Facing the truth about our self is the first step toward changing the future!
Learn the Truths About God: Secondly, after we’ve realized the truth about ourselves, we need to learn the truths about God. A key factor in Scrooge’s transformation was when he learned the truth about Bob Cratchit’s family and the fact that they had a crippled, youngest son named Tiny Tim. Now that truth and reality had been there all along. But Scrooge had been too busy pursuing money to find it. Friends, God is not silent. God has revealed Himself to us through the stories of Scripture, through the gift of the Holy Spirit present right here with us, through His Son born on Christmas morning in a manger. But isn’t it true that we’ll often take time for everything else in life. We wouldn’t think about the kids missing their ballgame, but getting to the youth group—that’s way down the list of priorities. We’ll take time for everything else but not time to discover the path that leads to life eternal.
Let me share some key verses from Scripture that reveal to us important truths about God. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right unto man, but in the end it leads to destruction." Friends, we can be sincerely wrong in what we believe. Not every path leads to God. The writer of Proverbs is reminding us of that. Paul in Romans 6:23 said, "The wages of sin is death (oh, but I’m grateful for the "buts" of Scripture), "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We talked about the chains of Christmas that binds us in that first message. Our text was Galatians 6:7 where we are told, "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. But the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
Hebrews 9:27, "Just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people…" And then in the part of Advent we often forget, "…and He will appear a second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Just like He is ready to do today. Hebrews 11:6 tells us the importance of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for we must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him." Jesus said in John 3:3, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again." We’ve all got a natural birthday; Delaney’s was September 3rd. Have you been born again of the Spirit? And then our theme from Christmas Eve is II Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The Wise Men were looking up to the heavens where they saw the star. You know, one of the things I like about this screen beyond its educational value is it gets us as a worshiping congregation looking up. That cross above the screen has been there since this sanctuary was built in 1985. But you know, you look down at your hymnals like this and you can’t see the cross-lifted high. They followed, the Wise Men did, and it led them to the baby Jesus. Wise men today seek Him. Is that true of you? Are you discovering the life-changing truths about God?
Respond to Those Truths in Faith and Obedience: And then, thirdly, we began honestly looking at ourselves, we moved from there and discovered the truths about God, and then thirdly, we need to respond to those truths in faith and obedience. Old Scrooge has seen the errors of his way. He has believed that his future can be different. And he makes a decision and tells the Ghost of Christmas Future; "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year long."
And as we will see on Christmas Eve, Scrooge puts his words into actions. And his future, the future of the Cratchit family and little Tiny Tim, and even the future of community are changed because Scrooge put words into action. Friends, Scrooge could have seen the future and done nothing about it. The Wise Men could have seen the star and chosen not to follow it. We can do the same thing. We can know the truth about our self; we can even know the truth about God and do nothing about it. That’s why the Bible tells us to be not only "hearers" of the word, but to be "doers". That’s why God’s Word tells us "faith without works is dead". You can shake my hand at the door and say, "Reverend Mike, that was a nice sermon today"; but if you go out and don’t live your life any differently, what difference does it make?
We need to follow the example of the Wise Men. They sacrificed whatever was necessary to respond to God’s leadings. They left their homes and endured a rigorous journey with an uncertain outcome. And in a quick sidelight, I want us to notice they did not travel alone. You know in the Christmas story we’ll always talk about the three Wise Men. Go home today and open your Bible. I defy you to find the word "three". It’s not there. It would have been absolutely ridiculous in that day for three men to have traveled that journey. I like the way the movie, "Jesus of Nazareth", portrays it. There are actually three different groups of wise men each with a large pilgrimage following a star.
And I bring that up, friends, to say this. The changes that God wants to make in your life are best realized in "community". John Elliott a couple of weeks ago on Wednesday night talked about Kingdom of God principles, one of which is community. In our Philosophy of Ministry here at Grace Church, is this principle—Lives are best transformed in small groups. When I see people here at Grace who God is changing their life, I almost always discover they are not doing it alone. They are in "community" with others.
The Wise Men found the baby Jesus. When they found Him, they were filled with joy. They bowed down and worshiped. And in response to this gift of love, they presented their gifts. And continuing to be led by God in their journey, they went home by a different way. May the same be true for us. Let us pray: "Almighty and ever-gracious God, we confess that we so often get caught up in the transient things of life. We deny the sin in our life. We fail to seek after You with our whole heart. We give lip service to our faith with little or no action to back up our words. Forgive us. Let us alter our lives on the altar of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. Change our lives and make them new through the awesome power of Your Holy Spirit. We ask this in the name of our eternal hope, Jesus Christ. Amen."
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