"The Way is on Its Way"

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17

In the first century, followers of Jesus Christ were not known as Christians – they were called “followers of the Way”, reflecting on Christ’s words “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6-7). We need to remember that until the revolt in 77AD, these folks were still members of Judaism. After the revolt, they were forced out of the Jewish camp and took on their own identity.
Beginning with the Book of Acts, we read of growth in the Church, and some of the early problems in faith. The Council in Jerusalem attempted to deal with discrepancies as they arose, but due to the ever increasing distances to the new churches, communication was difficult at best. The letters of the New Testament, written for the most part by Paul, tell of some of the issues that had to be dealt with, but they are primarily an explanation of the details and depth of what we believe. Regardless of our denominational bent, these letters spell out the basics of faith for all who would call themselves Christian.

Today, we consider just a few verses from Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse - a city located in what is today’s Turkey.

Read Colossians 3:1-4

When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we put the ways of earth behind us. They no longer have a place in our lives, and the phrase that Jesus used to describe this event was being “born again”. (John 3:1-8) And since we can only live one life at a time, the old one has to go.
Baptism is a sign of this change, and is especially evident when the sacrament is by immersion. As the person enters the water, they are a child of the earth. As they are lowered beneath the surface of the water, it symbolizes death to the old way, and when they are lifted up from the water, it is a sign of rising up to a new life with Christ. Baptism by sprinkling or pouring signifies the same thing, but it isn’t quite as visually evident as with immersion.

This passage describes the new life that being “born again” in Christ brings about. Paul says that we set our hearts on the things of heaven, and no longer on the things of earth. This means that the things we hold most dear have changed – our lives are the proof that the things of earth no longer hold importance in our lives, that they are evil in the sight of Almighty God. In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus give us a list of unGoldly acts, and He teaches that even our words and attitudes have to change if our new life is to be true.
This, we are told, is a precursor to our final resurrection in Christ, but is in no way in addition to giving our life to Christ. It comes as a result of our honest surrender to the way of Almighty God. And when we fully give ourselves to him, we will know his glory on that last day.

Read Colossians 3:5-11

Paul gives us a list of earthly ways that must go if we are to truly live our new life in Christ, and it mirrors the list that Jesus offered in Matthew 15. The point of this is that we must be intentional in scrapping our earthly nature, that it doesn’t just fade away on its own. When we accept Christ, our hearts change for the new, but our minds, most of the time, want to stay in the “old” – it’s what we are used to! And because of these things, because of our sin, “the wrath of God is on the way”. If there was no sin, there would be no judgment, but because sin is still rampant in this place, those who continue to treat the ways of earth as if they were acceptable are going to suffer for it.
And then, Paul adds an additional list of attitudes that must also be dealt with. These are the things that destroy relationships – not only with God, but with each other. He says that since we are a new creation in Christ, that since we have thrown off the old self and have put on the new, we also have to show this newness to others. The approach that we take in our relationships must be Christ-like – open, honest, loving, considerate, and even the words that we use must change. You can even say that we must “crucify” the old in us – that it must no longer live in us - if we are to live again in Christ.

And verse 11 tells us that everyone is welcome, and in that, everyone is also subject to judgment! There is nothing about our nationality, nor our cultural distinctions, nor our attitudes toward others, nor our position in life – there is nothing in us, except our own stubbornness and bullheaded attitude, that can possibly keep us from salvation in Jesus Christ.(Romans 8:37-39) The only criteria that will be weighed at the judgment will be whether we have a deep and true relationship with Christ, or not.

Read Colossians 3:12-14

And now we get to the other side of the coin – those attitudes that we must take on to fill the void created when we began to reject the ways of earth. As the “holy and dearly loved” children of God, we must be clothed in the ways of God – those ways that Jesus both exhibited and taught. Paul lists 8 ways that we must be clothed in our new community of faith, so let’s take a quick look at each.
Compassion – we must be sympathetic to the situations and conditions of others.
Kindness – we must help others who are in need.
Humility – we must see others in a better light than we see ourselves. And this does not diminish our self-worth, as some might think, but actually strengthens it.
Gentleness – this is about courtesy and consideration for the needs of others, putting their needs ahead of our own.
Patience – probably the hardest for most of us is the setting aside of our frustrations and anxieties, and making allowance for the shortcomings of others, as well as their less than stellar behavior.
Bearing with others – being accepting of others, regardless of their weaknesses, their faults, and their failures.
Forgiveness – Christ has offered to forgive us for our very great sinfulness, and we are to forgive others for their much smaller offences against us.
Love – Putting on love above all other virtues gives us insight into 1 Corinthians 13:13, where we read that love is the greatest of all virtues – it is the bond that makes all the rest possible, and holds them all together as one.

Read Colossians 3:15-17

This is a fitting passage for the Sunday after Christmas, for this is the Way that God brought to this world through the birth of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, there is no peace, there is no love, there is no forgiveness, there is no acceptance, there is no patience, there is no gentleness, there is no humility, there is no kindness, there is no compassion, and there is no hope – there is only the ways of earth.

God was with Israel through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and the only thing they saw was a being who had caused them hardship. God was with the people through conquest after conquest in the Promised Land, and they only saw their own victories. God was with them during years of exile, and many became more like their conquerors than like the children of God. And, quite honestly, the Church of today is no different.

Are we truly united in the One and Living God? Hardly.
Do we follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus? Some try to, but many others have decided that his way is nothing short of nonsense, and make their own way paramount.
When we accept the baptism of Jesus, do we truly die to the ways of earth, or do we simply pay lip service to the ways of heaven?
Do we rejoice in knowing that we have been created in the image of Almighty God, or do we prefer to live in our own image?

Christmas, as I mentioned on Christmas Eve, can never be seen as a once a year event. The birth of Christ must be our awakening to new life every moment of every day of every year. We must be born anew every morning when we immerge from the darkness of earth’s night.

As we approach the New Year, may each of us strip off more and more of the things of earth, and take on more and more of the finest clothes that come to us from Jesus Christ. His way must be our way, for the Way of Christ will soon be established for all, whether they want it that way or not, and it will be much better for us if we choose his Way, instead of waiting for it to be forced upon us.

It will soon be his Way, and no other - so why wait? Be clothed in him today.

"Come and See" (Christmas Eve)

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

The gospels have a very interesting mix of calls to follow Jesus. In Matthew 11:28, we read “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”, but then in Matthew 19:14, he tells his disciples, in no uncertain terms, to stop pushing the children away, and let them come to him. In Matthew 4:19, he calls Simon and Andrew to be his disciples with an opportunity - “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And when he meets Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), he abruptly told him come down out of the tree, because he was going to stay at his house.
Sometime Jesus was gentle in his call, and other times he was quite blunt. But he was the most direct when he was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees who should have already known been ready to welcome him, but instead, stood in direct and solid opposition to his teaching.

But as we read though the gospels, and notice those times when the masses were called to Jesus’ side, it was almost always as either an announcement or an invitation. When Philip told Nathaniel about the Lord, his final words were “Come and see.” (John 1:43-51) When the Samaritan woman told her neighbors about Jesus, she invited them with “Come and See.” (John 4:1-42)

When the angel Gabriel revealed God’s great plan to Mary, it was in a rather decisive way, but even at that, when the Virgin questioned how this could possibly happen, the angel gently revealed even more of God’s ways to her. Through it all, gentleness and compassion prevailed for this young girl.
And how were the shepherds told of the birth of Christ? When these poor ragged men just about passed out from fright, the angel comforted them, reassured them, and only then told them of the great news of Christ’s birth. But they were only told that a Savior had come in a very human way, and little else.
All praise and glory aside, they weren’t even invited to come and see! And yet, they did.

What is there about this story of Christmas that intrigues some, but never even comes close to touching others? Those who do finally come to believe, rightfully see the Birth of Christ as God’s offer of salvation, and not as a demand on his part We are invited to “come and see”, and never to commit in blind faith. In Matthew 28:16-20, in the passage we know as the Great Commission, the first call - to “make disciples” - doesn’t mean that we are to bring others, kicking and screaming, to salvation in Christ, but only to invite them to “come and see” and discover for themselves. The second part – that of baptism in the name of the Triune God – is about making a commitment, and it is only then that the third part – the teaching and learning what Christ is all about – occurs.

It all sounds so simple and straight forward, doesn’t it? So why do so many refuse to invite others to come to the Christ’s stable? Out of fear of rejection? That’s probably the biggest one, but I suspect that everyone has their own reason for hesitation, but in general, we all have been given the opportunity to choose between sharing Jesus with the ways of earth, and looking the other way. But still, many will choose the things of earth over the ways of heaven, and it just might be because of the way they hear about Jesus.
Have you ever known someone who got right in your face and told you that “If you don’t get right with Jesus, you’re going to hell!” While it may be true, who’s going to respond to an invitation like that? Even the question “How is your soul?” already implies that it isn’t in such a great state, and that other person is about to tell you just how bad it really is!

What approach did Philip use when he told Nathaniel about Jesus? He related his own personal experience with the Lord, and offered an invitation to his friend to experience Christ for himself.
What did the Samaritan woman say to her neighbors? She told them of her own encounter with Messiah, and invited them to come and see, and make up their own minds.
How did the man who was plagued by a “legion of demons” respond to his healing? He wanted to go with the Lord, but he was told to remain where he was, and to tell others about what the Christ had done for him. And he did – no indication that he berated the town people – just that he related his encounter with Jesus, and the people were amazed! (Mark 5:1-20)
And what about the shepherds? How did they respond to the angel’s unspoken invitation? They went to see for themselves, and then left to tell everyone they could about Messiah’s arrival, and when they had finished that, they returned to the stable to praise the Lord even more.

Have you noticed that, with the exception of Philip, these people were all, for lack of a better word, outcasts?
The woman was a Samaritan – a half Jew condemned by Jewish law – and had come to Jacob’s well in the middle of the day – the hottest and most uncomfortable time – so she could avoid the stares and gossip of others.
The demoniac – a gentile - was not only hated by the town’s people, but he was feared for the great strength and violence that had become a way of life for him.
And back to the shepherds – they were Jews, but because they were always covered in filth and blood and odor from caring for their sheep, they were considered unclean and unworthy. They weren’t even allowed into the temple to worship.

And yet, each and every one was called, either outwardly or by an inward spirit, to share their witness of what Almighty God had done for them. And the people who heard their testimony were amazed, not at just the story, but at how the Lord had reached out to, and blessed, even the most unworthy of all the nations.

And only the shepherds, as well as those they told, came to know the Lord at Christmas. Everyone else “came and saw” at other times. So it would seem that Christmas is not the only time for us to acknowledge and worship the Anointed One of God.

Christmas is not a “one day a year” experience, any more than Advent – our time of preparation for this celebration – is limited to one month before the holiday. Christmas must be a year round experience for us; Advent, our preparation for a life in Christ, must also be a lifelong event. And of course, I’m not referring to the secular version of this holiday season! Our life’s advent must be immersed in study and prayer and worship, and our 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of Christmas involves sharing our testimony of what Almighty God has done for us through our encounters with Jesus, and in the way we live our God-centered life.

But will everyone listen? Will everyone respond in the way we want them to? Of course not – just read the book of Acts, and you will see that the opposite is true. Some would believe, but most would not. Over and over again, we see Christ’s followers being abused and persecuted and ridiculed. Many would even lose their lives because of the hatred that others had against God’s message of hope and life. And the opposition continues today. But is that any reason to stop spreading the message of the glory that came to earth so long ago?

The message for all who claim the name of Christian must be one of invitation – that this is what God has done for me by faith in Jesus, so “come and discover” for yourself what the Lord wants to do for you. And standing silently by is not an option that has ever been presented to us. Remember the words uttered against the church in Laodicea – that they were only lukewarm in their faith, and God was about to “spit them out” of his mouth. (Revelation 3:14-22)

We can never be content in our faith; never be satisfied that we are completely right with God; never be convinced that just attending worship on Sunday is sufficient; never certain that some else will carry the message, so we don’t have to! We must always be striving to find new ways to celebrate Christmas by letting others know that they don’t have to take our testimony as the final proof of Jesus – that they can “come and see” for themselves, and that this will be all the evidence that they will ever need.

Will you come and see what the Lord wants to do for you?

"Right Side Up, Once Again!"

Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

What is the standard for deciding if something is upside down or right side up? When life is turned upside down, it means that it has been forced to be outside of the norm, that it is no longer correct, and right side up would imply that the current situation or standard is the right one, and that all is well within it.

When we think about it, “upside down” really means that our condition is, or is about to become, out of whack! The dictionary tells us that “upside down” means that our situation is in “great disorder”! But how do we know when life is either “upside down” or “right side up”?

Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun ... explains that in ancient times, to be a Christian community meant to defy Roman imperialism, to stretch Judaism, to counter pagan values with Christian ones. Real discipleship meant the rejection of emperor worship, the foreswearing of animal sacrifice, the inclusion of Gentiles, the elimination of dietary laws, the acceptance of women and the supplanting of law with love, of nationalism with universalism.

Being disciples in the world today is no less challenging. For Chittister, it implies a commitment to be in our world what Jesus was for his - being a disciple means working to make life better for others, going beyond our lives to improve the lives of others. “To follow Jesus is to follow one who turns the world upside down,” says Chittister.

—Jeanne Morales, “The cost of discipleship,” St. Joan of Arc Web Site, Lenten Season 2003, Stjoan.com. This piece draws on and quotes from Joan Chittister’s speech “Discipleship for a Priestly People in a Priestless Period” from the Conference on Women’s Ordination, Dublin 2001.

But if I may be so bold, I think Chittister has it backwards. I believe that when Jesus came, he found the world in chaos – that it was already “upside down”. We had been created in God’s image – we were created in the right - but because of sin, we have caused this life to be anything but right, and Jesus’ only purpose was to come and set it right again – to turn this world “right side up”!

Read Luke 1:46-49

This passage is generally known as the “Magnificat” – that it is Mary’s song of praise to her God for the great work that he is doing through her. She begins with a song of praise, but even within this, she acknowledges that a drastic change is underway.
She says that the Lord is “mindful”, or that he truly cares, about the condition of his servants. But no one ever truly cares about their servants – not in that day and definitely not in this one. After all, the only purpose for a servant’s life is to care for the master, not the other way around! The Godly way has been perverted!
The next verse proclaims that, in the future, this humble, lowly girl will be known as “blessed”. But how could anyone be considered “blessed” if they have no money, or position, or authority, or the great admiration and respect of others? Mary had none of these, and yet the Lord had imparted a divine and glorious purpose for her life. Upside down or right side up?

Even in this song of praise, Mary – humble, cared for, and blessed – is saying for all who will hear, that the Lord God Jehovah is working a brand new way for this world, and that he is using the most unworthy, the most unwelcome, the most unusual means to accomplish it.

Read Luke 1:50-52

Take a moment and think about who receives mercy in our day. Is it those who are afraid of authority? Or is it shown to those who the authority thinks can do something for them? Isn’t secular mercy all about favoritism?
But Mary strongly declares that God will show mercy to all who come to him. The word “fear” in this context implies worship and honor, and not so much as terror. So God’s mercy is for those who will trust his way, and not necessarily for those who can do him a favor to elevate his position. And how could we possibly do that anyway?

The next change is about who is raised up and who is set aside. Secular society would honor those who act in authority, and not those who show humility. But it seems that God will “scatter” those who are proud in their life - and not only those who exhibit pride, but those who even think in a prideful way. And who will he raise up? You’ve got it – those who don’t! And this leads us to the next huge change in our lives.

Worldly authority will be brought down, and the humble will be raised up. Can a person have both – great authority and humility? Maybe, but personally, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who actually had both! The world admires authority, they strive for authority, they honor authority, but who has ever honored humility? Only God, I guess!

Do you see how the Lord is “Making all things new”? (Revelation 21:1-5) He’s turning the ways of earth “on their ear”! And why would the Lord think that the old needs changing? Aren’t we doing pretty good just the way we are?

Apparently not! The worldly status quo has nothing to do whatsoever with the ways of God! And he will make the changes if we can’t.

Read Luke 1:53-55

More changes - the hungry will be fed with goodness, and the wealthy will be left wanting. When we work for the rewards of earth, we may get them, but unless we reverse our gaze and look to the things of heaven instead, the good things of God will remain out of reach. If eternal life is to be ours, something has to give.

In these last two verses, Mary is remembering that the Lord has been merciful to Israel, even though they may have forgotten that. And by faith in Christ Jesus, Almighty God’s promise to Israel that all, even the gentiles, will be welcomed and will be fulfilled. (Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 60:1-3 NKJV) Mercy will no longer be limited in concept to Israel – it will be available to all who surrender their lives to servanthood in Jesus.

Remember the movie “The Bucket List”? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two men who are in the process of dying. And as a last hurrah, they prepare their “bucket lists” – that list of things they want to do before death overtakes them - before they “kick the bucket”.
They put all kinds of activities on paper, and as each is accomplished, it is crossed off. The entire point of the film is to do as many things as they can before they die, things that will bring them pleasure, or a sense of accomplishment, or anything else that will bring purpose to the lives that they, apparently, feel have been lacking. Nicholson was wealthy, Freeman was a successful mechanic, and they both had an emptiness that had never been filled.

But it wasn’t until the end of the movie that they both discovered what had been missing, and neither of them had written it on the “list”. It seems that they thought that their “buckets” needed to be carried open side up so that they could accumulate as much as possible. But as it turned out, our life’s “bucket” should be carried bottom up, so that we can pour out as many blessings on others as we possibly can. And they learned this, at least to a limited degree, before it was too late.

That is the message that Mary’s Song brings to us today. It is purely a song of praise to Almighty God for all that he has done, and continues to do, within our lives. It’s interesting to note that by adding just three more letters to Magnificat, we get magnification. The Christian life magnifies God to others, just as Mary’s song does. The secular life can only magnify itself. That’s why the Way of Jesus is so difficult for many – it goes against everything that they have ever been taught, everything they have ever lived for, and everything they have believed to be true.

If Jesus had come to earth in a powerful and authoritative way, he would have been exactly what the world had wanted and expected. But by coming in the totally opposite way, in a way that reflected the message that Mary sang and that he had to convey, he would be the “right side up” example of what our lives must be about.

Jesus has set the standard for life in the right orientation, once again. Praise the Lord. May we all magnify his Holy and Precious Name!

"Oh - What to Do?"

Scripture: Luke 3:7-18

Have you ever had one of those days when you had to be decisive, but couldn’t make the right decision to save you? You’re on the way to a place you have never been to before, and you turn left instead of right, and travel 5 miles before you learn that you made a wrong turn? Or you’re at work, and you need the assistance of someone else, and you spend half the day calling the wrong office? Or you have a midterm college paper due tomorrow, and you can’t seem to get a single cohesive thought together in your mind?

There are days when you truly believe that you are headed in the right direction, but the starting line for your tomorrow just keeps moving further and further away!

From James Citrin’s book on business leadership:
French philosopher Paul Valery ... said, "The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be." At a time when we can be certain only of continuous economic upheaval, geopolitical turmoil and technological change, effective leaders are those who manage uncertainty effectively. No single trait or action is responsible for a leader's success. Different styles are appropriate for different situations. Nevertheless, apart from matters of personal style, most great business leaders follow a consistent set of principles:

[Number one:] Live with integrity and lead by example.

Integrity is the internal sense of right and wrong that guides everything a successful person does. Living with integrity and leading by example build the kind of trust that is critical for high-performance organizations.

-James M. Citrin, "Six principles for leading during uncertain times," Business 2.0, January 31, 2002, business2.com.

This advice was being offered in a business context, but it is equally applicable in Christian faith. The difference between right and wrong is about as esoteric as life will ever get! So the Christian only has one other option – trust God, and let him set the pace!

Read Luke 3:7-9

The Baptist was fighting an uphill battle against legalism and shallow faith. The vast majority of Jews had come to lean so heavily upon their lineage and their status as “chosen people”, that their relationship with their great God Jehovah was all but extinct. And this self-serving approach to faith in the Hebrew tradition was carrying over into Christian faith as well.
Crowds of people were flocking to John for baptism, and while he isn’t questioning their decision, he is doubting the validity of their reason for coming. Are their motives as poisonous as the venom of vipers? Do they expect that baptism will counteract all their inadequacies? Do they think that once they are baptized, that they can continue to live “the old life” without fear? The people of today believe these things, and so did the crowds that were pursuing John.

His admonition to begin living a life that will produce “fruit of repentance” is a call to not only be baptized, but to completely change their concept of what pleases God. And their overriding dependency on “heritage” just isn’t going to cut it! They are warned that unless something changes very soon, God is going to raise up an entirely new line for salvation, and that they may be left in the dust, wondering what had just happened to their “chosen-ness”?

The New Interpreters’ Bible tells us that neither the ritual of baptism nor the rights of birth can ever be trusted as a substitute for repentance and Christian ethical reform.

Read Luke 3:10-14

These words aren’t just about a call to “good works” – they are about a complete change from the way it has always been. In Micah 6:8, the prophet asks a question, and then answers it for all who might stumble over the pointed truth that was there. He asks “What does the Lord require of you?”, and then offers the answer “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
John’s comments regarding sharing your excess with others, and acting honestly, and being satisfied with what the Lord has provided you with, satisfies Micah’s admonition to Israel. John is calling the people to care about the lives that others are living, and if you can make their life just a little easier - a little better - then do it. Notice that John isn’t calling the people, and us, to retreat from everyday society – he wants us to live differently within it.

But how do you even begin to make that kind of drastic change? Where do we get the wisdom to understand this new and strange, and even worrisome, truth?

That truth and that courage will only reside in the faith we receive from a life in Christ. John’s call to the crowd goes against everything that society, as well as the learned religious leaders, had ever taught them. Sound familiar? Attitudes in the early 1st century were no different than those in the 21st! In those days, it was all about getting as much for yourself as you could, and giving away the very least that you could get away with. And the “me-me-me” generation of today is just as morally bankrupt as the folks living 2,000 years ago! Is it any wonder that they – and we - don’t know how to live the righteous life that Jesus brings? John was inflicting, and conflicting, them with a completely new level of uncertainty that had begun to lead them to a true examination of life and faith.

Oswald Chambers, in [his] classic devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, cautioned Christians against thinking of uncertainty in this life as a bad thing. “The nature of the spiritual life,” said Chambers “is that we are certain in our uncertainty. ...”

“The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what he is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled.”

“But when we have the right relationship with God,” Chambers explained, “life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ‘…believe also in me’ (John 14:1), not, ‘Believe certain things about me.’ Leave everything to him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how he will come in — but you can be certain that he will come.”
- Homiletics OnLine

Recognition and acknowledgment of our uncertainty in faith will prod us to greater efforts to find the fullness of faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing that he came to redeem this hurting and sinful world from their sins is good. Knowing that he died on Calvary and rose to new life as a sign of eternal life for us is also important, but Jesus is about so much more than that, and if we are completely certain and comfortable in our limited aspects of faith, we may never arrive at a true and deep relationship with the Lord.

Read Luke 3:15-18

John began this discourse with words of condemnation, and when he had finally gotten the people’s attention, he began to offer them these far more important words of hope. He announces that, indeed, the Christ has come, but that he (John) isn’t the One. John’s baptism was one of repentance, which seems to be the central theme of all that he preached, but he says that Messiah will baptize in a far greater way.

So what does baptism “with the Holy Spirit and with fire” mean for us? In the context of Pentecost, it is the Holy Spirit that fills us with Godly truth and courage, and it is the “fire” of God that cleanses us of the failures of earth. Repentance is only the beginning of a life in Christ, and Jesus’ baptism with Spirit and Fire leads us toward the culmination of this life.
And the “threshing” that Messiah will accomplish is the separation of the things of heaven from the things of earth, and the attitudes and standards and hopes that this world offers are going to perish completely. And it is important for us to understand that this is God’s job, not ours, but that we must be open to his working this vital change in our lives.

This is the Good News of Christmas – that those who believe in Jesus Christ and seek to follow in his footsteps, that those who desire to be cleansed by his “refining fire”, that those who allow the Spirit of God to fill them and change them and use them to fulfill the desires of Almighty God, will begin to discover that their uncertainty in faith will begin to be satisfied, and that they – we – will finally know what God would have us do.

This, my friends, is the Hope of Christmas for all who will believe.

"Are You Ready?"

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-5

Preparation is such an involved thing. When I’ve had to pack for my seminary classes in Washington, DC, which, praise the Lord is now a thing of the past, I went over the various items that I needed to take several times. It was clothes, and my papers, and books, and computer, and printer, and paper, and my GPS, and a number of other things that would be important to have for those 3 days.
And vacations were even worse! Now there were two of us running through our mental checklists, and regardless of where we were going, or how long we were going to be gone, or even how prepared we thought we were, it seems like we always forgot something! I’ve even tried writing out the checklist, and while it helps, I still seem to miss something that I needed.

Packing our baggage in as complete a fashion as possible is never easy. And preparing for a life in Christ seems to be an even more daunting task - but should it be? The truth is that preparing for Jesus requires a lot more unpacking than it does packing!

Read Malachi 3:1

In Matthew 11:7-15, Jesus quotes this passage as a way to explain John the Baptist’s mission to Israel. He says that John is the long awaited arrival of Elijah, who, in Jewish understanding, is expected to return to usher in the coming of Messiah. But then, does anyone really believe God’s messengers? After all, the Lord uses the most unusual and strangest people to carry his lessons to the world! They just don’t look important enough to be Messiah’s heralds.

But the prophet says that there is a second messenger who is on his way – the “messenger of the covenant”. This, of course, is Jesus – the one who will explain the covenant of God, the one who will confirm the covenant, the one who guarantee the covenant, the one who will be the covenant for all who will accept it.

The Old Testament prophets were messengers of God; the apostles of the New Testament were messengers of God, Jesus is the Messenger of God, and with all of the heaven sent emissaries, only a few people would ever believe any of the words that were offered. I think that most folks believe either that they are good enough, and don’t need Jesus, or that there is still lots of time, and that there will be plenty of warning before Messiah’s arrival, so why worry about it now?
The problem is that the time is getting closer and closer, and the signs, even when they do come, won’t be believed, and yes, Jesus is still necessary! Malachi tells us that the Lord will arrive “suddenly”, in keeping with his parable of the bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13). And when Jesus does return, it will be too late to make any additional preparations.

We want the Lord to come, and come quickly at that, but are we truly ready for that glorious arrival?

Read Malachi 3:2-4

There are several issues associated with this reference to refining and cleansing.
First, refining, in general terms, is the process of removing impurities from various metallic ores. Depending on the metal, the ore is heated to a specific temperature that causes the metal to melt, allowing the impurities to float to the surface of the liquid. The impurities, or slag, can then be skimmed off, leaving the pure metal behind.
The second issue in this passage speaks of refining and cleansing by Messiah, and there are two times when this “refining” process occurs. The first is when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior. By grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) we are purified and made worthy to stand before the Throne of Judgment, but as we sin again and again, which we will all certainly do, and when we seek the Lord’s forgiveness for that sin, which we all must do, we will be refined of this sin, too. Brian Doekson wrote a contemporary song called Refiner’s Fire, and part of the song says:

“Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within”

This is the plea of the repentant sinner – “cleanse me completely of my sin, Lord, and make me holy”.

The second time of refining occurs when the Lord makes his return known to all the world. This is the refining that Malachi is proclaiming. At that time, a final refining will occur, when all sin will be driven from the earth. The difference this time is that all evil and all who don’t believe will be removed from the kingdom, and any residual sin within those who do believe will also become a thing of the past.

The problem, as you can well imagine, is that refining is not a gentle process! The state of the raw material is changed – it becomes molten – and all that is not part of the pure metal separates and is removed. The heat is intense, and when the desired temperature is reached, the pure molten metal is transferred to a mold and is allowed to cool. It becomes something totally different, it is perfectly improved, and it will never be the same again.

When we are “refined” of our sinfulness, we will also experience a drastic change. Those things of life that we have always depended upon; those things that we have always enjoyed; those things that have given us direction for so many years - will no longer have any meaning or purpose for us. And that can be traumatic – or at least it was for me! But once we get through that initial cleansing, it begins to get a little easier each time we come back for refreshing.
And after the refining is complete, the gifts and offerings that are presented to the Lord will, once again, become acceptable in his sight.

Read Malachi 3:5

This is the final judgment, and we read that it is Jesus who will be doing the testifying. Remember that no one else – not us, not our friends, and not even Satan – will have a word to say at the Lord’s Judgment. Laws that have been broken are the Lord’s laws, and only God can properly and perfectly judge any wrong doing. He doesn’t need any help.
The issues listed as those that the Lord will testify against are sins that were most prevalent in the prophet’s day. The ones of our age may be a little different, but please, don’t think for a moment that because you may be clean of these, that you will pass thought unscathed! Personally, I doubt that anyone will get through this second refining without feeling the heat! But the promise is offered that anyone who believes need not fear, for the Refiner’s Fire will not destroy them – only the sin will be burned away.


So what does this have to do with Christmas? What does this have to do with today? When Jesus arrived, he became is the ultimate Messenger of God; he is the ultimate sign of the covenant; he will be the Refiner that verse 3 speaks of, and he will be the one who will judge all the impurities of earth – those things in our lives that will have to be removed if we wish to enter his kingdom. This is the baggage of earth, and it all must be unpacked. We have no eternal need of it, and even in this life, it only serves to weigh us down.

Author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us.

There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness.

There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige.

There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin.

There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride.

There's no room for bitterness and greed.

There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, "Do You Believe the Angels?" Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.

The reality of the manger is that there is only room for our dependency and trust in Jesus, and everything else must fall away. This is our preparation at Christmas, and it must continue every moment of every day of our lives, until the day when we stand before the Refiner and he completes the process of Sanctification for us.
Praise the Lord, for his goodness will prevail.