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“Go” Tell It On The Mountain

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Today, at Crestview, we are having Matthew Ellison from 16:15 in to talk missions strategy with us again.  It’s fitting that we have him in this time of year as Eva Everson writes in her two part post The First Christmas Song: Go Tell It On the Mountain.   She concludes:

This year, as you sing “Go Tell it On the Mountain,” think beyond the story in the lyrics. It began with a few shepherds in a field, it moved to the lowly and the rich—the sick and the dying, both physically and spiritually—in Israel, and was then given to 11 men standing on a mountain. 

Now it lies with you and me. Let us go.

Here’s the lyrics to this beloved Christmas song:

Weekend Preview – Jesus, The Helper

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Jesus, the Son of God, took on flesh to help mankind.  For two weeks, I’ve highlighted, in my Christmas in Hebrews series, how He’s done that.  Specifically, last week, I made a connection that Jesus doesn’t merely help people — He specifically helps the offspring of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16) those relating to Him by faith.

This Sunday, Lord-willing, we hope to look at another great incarnation text from Hebrews (Hebrews 4:14-16) and see how it is exactly that Jesus helps believers.  And, we will see that Jesus comes to help us when we are most needy.  He does this as a sympathizing High Priest.  Come, then, seeing how Jesus passed through the heavens to come and help you.  He was tempted as we are when He walked on earth.  His incarnation makes His help real and tangible.  Come, ready to be helped by Him this Sunday.

Weekend Recap – Jesus, Word in the Flesh

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My sermon from 12/25/11 from John 1:14 entitled Christmas Truth is online.  In this talk, I tried to simply and helpfully point to how Jesus, both His coming to earth and displaying glory, as the true meaning of Christmas.    Sorry that I was a little slow in getting it up and the link posted.  We’ve been busy this week with holiday plans.  Hope you have a great week looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.

He’s Here

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Tonight at our church’s Christmas Eve Carol & Candlelight Service (6-6:30PM), this video is shown from the Jesus Storybook Bible.  I love incorporating something like this to help children visually see the amazing wonder of Christmas.  Enjoy.

Weekend Preview – Word Became Flesh

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This coming Sunday is Christmas.  My advent series through John’s Gospel will culminate this Sunday as we look at John 1:14:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Christmas is really about this truth.  The Word, Jesus, became flesh like you and me and lived among us.  He came and displayed glory and this glory was like glory from the Father: it was full of grace and truth.

This week, continue to marvel at God become a man and come this Lord’s Day anticipating a sight of His glory as we unfold this amazing verse and wonder at the Incarnation.

Christmas with Capital “C”

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It seems that with all the church’s preoccupation with keeping “Christ” in Christmas (which is a good thing) we can be dangerously close to missing Him ourselves.  I could agree more than with what Jared Wilson recently wrote in a post entitled This Christmas, Don’t Let Jesus Distract You from Jesus.  He writes: 

There is a great danger this Christmas season of missing the point. And I’m not referring simply to idolatrous consumption and materialism. I’m talking about Christmas religiosity. It is very easy around this time to set up our Nativity scenes, host our Christmas pageants and cantatas, read the Christmas story with our families, attend church every time the door is open, and insist to ourselves and others that Jesus is the reason for the season, and yet not see Jesus. With the eyes of our heart, I mean. 

I suppose there is something about indulging in the religious Christmas routine that lulls us into thinking we are dwelling in Christ when we are really just set to seasonal autopilot, going through the festive and sentimental motions. Meanwhile the real person Jesus the Christ goes neglected in favor of his plastic, paper, and video representations. Don’t get distracted from Jesus by “Jesus.” This year, plead with the Spirit to interrupt your nice Christmas with the power of Jesus’ gospel.

I wonder if we aren’t guilty of missing the True Light of this season ourselves?  So how about it?  Will you “plead with the Spirit to interrupt your nice Christmas with the power of Jesus’ gospel”?  Do this and see if this doesn’t end up being a Christmas you’ll always remember.