We know our kingdom and we know our King. This world is not our home. It is not our final destination. Our home is with Jesus in his Kingdom.
However, this does not remove us from our current responsibility in the world. After salvation we were not automatically taken to the kingdom to be with Jesus. Jesus still has a purpose for his Church to remain in the world and to make the gospel known among the nations. This means that we still have a responsibility and purpose in the world.

Let me get a little more personal.

I believe that we, Spring of Life Church, live in the greatest nation in the world. One of the most free nations to have ever existed. Up to this point in the nations history, the Church of Jesus Christ has not been persecuted as it has been all throughout the World. This is not to say that the Church has not faced its difficulties in this nation, it most certainly has, but it is to say that we have had the freedom to speak and to gather. The Bible calls us to pray for our nation, to pray for the leaders of the nation and to live peaceable and quiet lives.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:1–4, ESV

When we see the immorality, evil and sin of the nation rising it should bring us to our knees for prayer. We do not riot, we do not cause civil unrest, and we do not set our demands. We pray to the one who sees all, knows all, and hears our prayers. After we pray, we do our part. We do not participate in the sins of the nations nor do we give approval to those who participate in such sin. We stand firm in our faith in Jesus and on the truth that he reveals in His Word. We strive to live a life that is “godly and dignified in every way.”

This means that as good citizens, we vote. We vote for those whose policy will best uphold the truth that we see in Gods Word. Where as before politics was more focused on economics and foreign affairs, now they have moved their way into matters of morality and life. In these matters it is even more important that the Church stands firm and affirms the truth.

The killing of unborn babies is not a neutral question for the Church.
Racism is not a neutral question for the Church.
LGBTQ is not a neutral topic for the Church.

The list can go on. The point is that the Bible is very clear on all of these issues and the Church must be as well. This is why we have decided to do a month long sermon series on some of the issues that the nation faces today. I invite you to join us for this sermon series as we open up the Word of God and we affirm the truth.

Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.

This was the heart of the message that John the Baptist preached as he prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus. This is the message that Jesus preached when he began his ministry. It is the message that Jesus lived out until the end of his life on Earth. This kingdom is unlike any other, namely because the King is unlike any other.

The kingdom was set up not by conquering flesh and bone. The kingdom spread to the ends of the Earth not by overtaking more land. The Kingdom was established not by defeating various kings. In order to set up this kingdom, sin and death had to be defeated.

This kingdom is not an earthly kingdom, it is not a temporary kingdom, it is not a kingdom that can be compared to anything that we have seen. It is a heavenly kingdom, it is an eternal kingdom, it is a glorious kingdom. The visual beauty of the kingdom cannot be described or put into words. The Apostle Paul when he saw the kingdom said; “he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:4, ESV). There are no words that we have that can describe the beauty of this kingdom.

But the beauty extends far beyond the gravel and the buildings and gates. The true beauty of the kingdom is the people. They are a different kind of people. They have different desires. They have different wants. They care about things that the worldly people despise and hold in contempt.

But we know these people. They are our neighbors. They work with us. They go to school with us. Our kids play with their kids. Our homes are next to their homes. We talk to them on a daily basis. Some of them have a really dark past. We know their past. They were sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers! (1 Corinthians 6:9–10, ESV) Yet, they are now different. Almost as if they have been transformed. Almost as if they are a new creation!

Then again, maybe this is where the beauty of the people in this kingdom lies?

They have been forgiven. They have washed their robes in the blood of the lamb and he took their sins upon himself. He made himself to be despised. He made himself to be sin. He made himself take the wrath of God that was destined for this people. And they have trusted in him.

I guess this is why this kingdom is unlike any other; the King is unlike any other. The King is the Holy one of God. He was in the beginning of creation, in fact everything that we see was made through him! Yet, he became flesh and dwelt among us. As a ransom he gave himself up for his people. He loves his people. He knows the people of his kingdom, and the people of the kingdom know him. They call him by his name.

King Jesus.

Last week Christianity Today wrote an article on what Christians believe. The article was based on a survey, conducted by LifeWay research through Ligonier Ministries, where they interviewed 3000 Americans. You can read the article here.
There were several alarming things that the research concluded. Among them, was what people believed about sin, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. Some of the beliefs are straight up heresy. But the one thing that stood out to me was what people believe about gathering together as the Church.

The survey concluded, “A majority of US adults (58%) said that worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church. Only 30 percent disagree.”
This is a dangerous mindset. Our relationship with Jesus is personal, but out of this relationship we are also bound to His people. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. On the contrary, it is the will of God that His people would come together to worship and fulfill His purposes. We see this all throughout the New Testament. From the day of Pentecost, the Church has been gathering together for the proclamation of Gods Word, for worship and for fellowship.

The question then arises, why do 58% of Americans think that worshiping alone is a valid replacement for regularly attending Church? They might have had some bad experiences in the church, they might have been betrayed by the people in the church, or they might just find the whole thing boring. They might see the whole experience as a show, they might not like the preacher, and the worship team might be a little flat.

Even if all these things are true, the underlying reason that people have this dangerous mindset is that they have not committed themselves to the Church. Many Christians believe that the Church exists to serve them, but it is actually the believer who is called to serve the Church. It is not just the Pastors responsibility to serve and care for the Church. It is the responsibility of all believers to come together and care for one another. This is what we see in the early Church, when all the believers were together, and took care of the needs of all who were in the Church. (Acts 2:44-47)

There is plenty that you could find wrong in the Church, just as there is plenty that you could find wrong in your own life. The beauty of the Church is not in it’s perfection. The beauty of the Church is that they are sinners who have been redeemed by the grace of God and are trying to live a life faithful to Jesus in a broken world.
Charles Spurgeon had some great insight on the Church. He called it “the dearest place on Earth.” And I agree with him.

“If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

There are many mysterious truths surrounding the birth of Jesus. There is the virgin birth, the star as a sign, and the proclamation of angels to name a few. But perhaps the most mysterious and spectacular of all truths is the incarnation of Jesus. This is the truth that God took on flesh and dwelt among us.

“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.” (John 1:14)
John writes that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. (John 1:1 emphasis added) And that this word took on flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14 emphasis added) So it boggles the mind that the almighty God who is without beginning and without end, who created the universe and sustains all things by His powerful word, would come down and take on human flesh. Not only does he take on human flesh, but he takes on the most humble state. That of being a baby.

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but babies do not do much. I have one at home. All he does is eat, sleep, poop, and repeat. Babies fully depend on others for their survival. By definition they have no way of caring for themselves. This was no different with our Lord. He took on the most humble form of man. Yet, in Him all fullness of deity was pleased to dwell. (Colossians 1:19) He was indeed God in the flesh.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,” (Galatians 4:4)

He was also one hundred percent human. As Paul points out in Galatians 4:4, “God sent forth his son, born of woman, born under the law.” Although, He was not conceived like all people, He was born like all people. He was born under the law, so that He might redeem those who were under the law. For we all stood in condemnation when it came to the law. We could not redeem ourselves by keeping the law, because the law was given that we might know that we are sinners.

This is why Jesus was born under the law, so that he might fulfill the law. He lived a sinless life. As a result, He was able to be the sacrifice for our sins. He was able to take the wrath of God that was meant for sinners upon himself. In order for Him to be able to accomplish this, Jesus had to take on human flesh. He had to be made like us in every respect, so that he might be the propitiation for our sins. (Hebrews 2:17)

The incarnation of Jesus blows my mind every time I step back and consider it. The humility of Jesus, the vulnerability of Jesus, and the submissiveness of Jesus. All things were created through Him, yet He comes to His own creation in order that He might redeem us and reconcile us with God.

May we not lose sight of this glorious truth as we celebrate today.
Merry Christmas!