27th Nov 2016 Advent sermon

Firstly my sermon today isn’t really based on today’s readings because I only found out I needed to cover for Campbell yesterday and I haven’t had time to prepare something new.

Because we’re in Advent, I wanted to say something about the Christmas season – and so I’ve adapted a previous Advent sermon I preached a couple of years ago. I apologise if you remember any of it.

So, another Christmas approaches. Another season of goodwill and celebration. Lots of preparations. Lots of food to buy and decorations to put up.

Lots of over excited children and perhaps lots of stress for some of you as you try to get everything ready in time.

And then the day itself. Presents everywhere and Christmas lunch. Time with family or perhaps a time when you feel lonely. And then probably too much to eat, repeats on the telly and its all over for another year.

And you can be left feeling a bit hollow and disappointed. Was that it?  All that effort and expense - and puff – now it’s over and time rolls on and another New Year approaches.

Perhaps in life generally you see time passing by - and if you’re honest – deep down, you feel a bit empty – and you wonder - is there more to life than this?

Well, if that is how you feel, perhaps the real message behind Christmas – which is what I want to talk about today - can offer you a glimmer of hope – and the possibility that there is indeed more to life than just existing.

We all know that Jesus was a good man who went round healing people and even raising the dead and then got crucified. But for many this is a as far as it goes – and they miss the point of Christmas.

We know also that Christmas is essentially about giving – but we can fail to see that Jesus is God’s gift to us – the greatest gift that anyone can receive.

And it was the same in Jesus’ day. Although he performed many miracles and cast out demons and raised the dead, most of the Jewish people remained unconvinced that Jesus was their Messiah – the one promised by God – who would come to save them – the one they had been waiting for, for hundreds of years.

Why was this? Well it was because they were expecting a worldly king – a strong warrior like political figure - someone like King David - who would drive out the Romans and make Israel a great nation again.

They were expecting a worldly king who would sit on an earthly throne. They didn’t understand that the Messiah would be a heavenly king who would establish his kingdom in people’s hearts and lives.

Jesus explained to the Jewish people – “my kingdom is not of this world” - but the majority failed to understand his meaning.

They were so focussed on this world and the here and now – that they missed the coming of their King.

And thus it is today. Where people are focused very much on this world – on the here and now, their careers and hobbies, on success or status or achievement  – they can remain blind to the significance of Jesus - and blind to the importance of eternal things.

Jesus came to make it possible for us to be reconciled to the God who created us. He came to offer us forgiveness and eternal life. He came to give our lives meaning and purpose and to offer us hope when the world can seem very bleak.

He came to enable us to know him and to experience a relationship with him that will transcend death.

Perhaps as I said at the start of this sermon some of you have been feeling that there must be more to life than just exisiting.

Well if that’s you, you may be closer to finding God than you think – because I think the starting point for finding a relationship with God is coming to a realisation that being focused on the world alone doesn’t bring us fulfilment.

That even though we may be fairly comfortable and successful, actually deep down if we’re honest - there’s an emptiness and pointlessness to life without God.

Although we may not realise it – we were actually created by God to enjoy a relationship with Him and until we find that relationship there will always be a certain emptiness and restlessness within our hearts.

Jesus said that he came to bring life in all its fullness. Life outside a relationship with him is two dimensional. Our bodies and souls will be alive – but spiritually we are dead – and cut off from relationship with God.

Life in relationship with God is 3 dimensional. God brings us spiritually alive and we can start to function as the people He created us to be.

Having acknowledged our spiritual hunger – we then need to look in the right place for that hunger to be filled.

There are all sorts of religions and spiritual paths on offer – but Jesus said – no “one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the only one through whom we can find a relationship with God.

He is the only one to have carried our sins in his body on the cross and to have died and been punished in our place – so that we could go free.

Jesus also said “I am the bread of life.” He is the only one who can truly satisfy our spiritual hunger.

We can look in all sorts of places for our spiritual hunger to be satisfied but ultimately only a relationship with Jesus will fulfil us.

I tried a bit of Buddhism at University and I quite liked the Bahai faith – but ultimately by God’s grace I found a relationship with Jesus.

I don’t know where you are on your spiritual journey at the moment. Perhaps you’re just awakening to the spiritual hunger that is in you. Perhaps you’ve tried a few spiritual paths but haven’t yet found what you’re looking for.

My advice is to seek Jesus. Read the gospels and pray. Share your thoughts and share your heart with God. Tell Him how you feel. Tell Him you’re looking for Him. Seek Him.

Remember that Jesus said “seek and you will find.”

Perhaps some of you here this morning are intellectually convinced by Christianity but somehow your faith seems a bit dry and lifeless.

You hear of having a living relationship with God but that isn’t really your experience.

Well first of all I’d ask do you really want God in your life? Are you really hungry for a relationship with Him? Are you prepeared to let him guide you through life?

Or are you a bit wary of what He may ask of you? Are you a bit worried of what others might think if you became a Christian?

You see, God really does want to come and live in your heart and life – because He loves you.

You are extremely precious to Him, but He comes to those who truly want to know Him – who are sincere in their desire to find Him.

And this is the essence of repentance. God can only make his home in a repentant heart – a humble heart that truly acknowledges its need for Him.

And repentance isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision we make. To repent means to change one’s mind.

‘Lord up to this point I’ve gone my own way in life - but from now on I want you to be the Lord of my life. Forgive me for all that is past. Come into my life and help me to live in a way that is pleasing to you.’

And when we truly repent God comes by His Holy Spirit – the spirit of Jesus - to live in our hearts and lives.

I love the Christmas Carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ which describes how God comes into our lives.

‘No ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin – where meek souls will receive him - still the dear Christ enters in.

‘O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in be born in us today.’

Now some of you may have repented and invited Jesus into your life – but you are bit disappointed because frankly you don’t really feel much different.

You were expecting spiritual fireworks but nothing much happened and you feel a bit disillusioned.

Well if a relationship is going to be a healthy we need to put time and effort into it. And a relationship with God is no different.

As with human relationships – it’s easy to lose touch with someone and for a relationship to go cold.

And it’s the same with God. We need to put aside time each day to pray and to read our bibles. The bible says “come close to God and He will come close to you.”

The more time and energy and effort we put into our relationship with God the closer to Him we’ll be.

Perhaps you’ve been leaving your relationship with Jesus on the back burner – and the knowledge of the kingdom of God which has been planted in you isn’t growing and flourishing.

Why not this Christmas time – make the decision to re-kindle that relationship?

So to tie up what I want to say - another Christmas approaches and no doubt we will all be getting various gifts from loved ones.

Some of these may be what we really wanted and some not – although of course even if we don’t really like them - we’ll still probably say something like - thank you so much – it’s just what I needed.

But the greatest gift of all awaits those who genuinely seek it – the gift of eternal life, the gift of salvation and forgiveness and a relationship with the living God.

Just as Jesus was born in humble circumstances 2000 years ago – so today He longs to be born in our lives if only we will humble ourselves before him and confess our need for him.

Why not this Christmas use the words from O Little Town of Bethlehem and turn them into your own personal prayer.

‘O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to me I pray. Cast out my sin and enter in be born in me today.’

And if you’ve already invited Jesus into your life why not make your relationship with him a priority this Christmas – and put time and effort into re-kindling it?

May the living God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas. Amen.