Christmas is Love
David Mairs · Christmas is…
8 December 2024
https://media.glenabbey.church/talks/christmas-is-love

[0:00] I said at the start of last series, I thought we were talking in joy this morning.
[0:05] That was a joke, but it freaked a few people out when they seen love at the front.
[0:09] It's kind of a giveaway, isn't it?
[0:11] I wonder what comes to mind when you start to think about Christmas.
[0:19] For me, it's the thought of having to go up into the loft and bring down a ridiculous number of boxes of decorations, which is totally exhausting.
[0:31] And then it's the whole untangling of the lights for the Christmas tree and then plugging them in, hoping against hope that they work.
[0:42] I guess, of course.
[0:44] But if we're honest, I think so much of what comes to mind and the demands a lot of our time when it comes to Christmas are those physical, temporal things.
[0:56] Like, when do you decorate the house?
[1:00] some people really do it early I have to say now surely it has to be December but anyway we'll not get into that debate what presents are we going to buy how much are we going to spend on a present oh yes don't forget to order in the Christmas food before the mad rush when everybody thinks there's going to be no food left in the world and the shops are just so packed it's frightening who should be in fight what about time to go and see the Christmas lights or the madness of the Christmas market.
[1:31] And then, of course, we need to arrange something for the kids to take them to Santa or to experience some festive experience.
[1:39] And then there's a time for the Christmas movies.
[1:42] I already know that some people have been into their Christmas movie, indulging in those favorite December films.
[1:48] It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, there's a private viewing for the young people.
[1:55] And then, of course, there's Die Hard.
[1:56] I really don't get that one.
[1:59] But some people think that is a Christmas movie, and I'll probably be in trouble for doubting that.
[2:05] But this morning, I want to remind us all of what really is at the core of Christmas, and it is this word love, because Christmas, in many ways, is the greatest love story that's ever been told of how God reaches down to us in the most extraordinary of ways.
[2:22] Last weekend, we had a sleepover with some of our grandkids.
[2:26] And as we do, we have a movie night normally when the grandkids stay over.
[2:31] And we get the popcorn sorted out.
[2:33] And we get the treats.
[2:35] And we choose a movie.
[2:37] And it's like, what do I want to choose to watch?
[2:39] And let's get something with the Christmas theme.
[2:40] And we find this movie called The Journey to Bethlehem.
[2:45] It's a musical.
[2:45] And it does have some creative license in how it tells the story of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.
[2:52] It was fun.
[2:53] Grandkids really enjoyed it.
[2:55] Vivian and I enjoyed it as well.
[2:57] And I have to say, as I watched the movie, the scene that grabbed me the most was when baby Jesus was born.
[3:07] And the reason it grabbed me the most is it still amazes me that Jesus, who was there at the foundation of the earth, and spoke into creation,
[3:21] came from heaven and took on human form as a little, vulnerable, helpless, dependent baby on his mother, Mary.
[3:33] It's just incredible.
[3:35] Just think about that.
[3:37] Jesus left heaven in all its glory, in all its fullness, and took on flesh.
[3:44] I don't know you.
[3:47] I just love little babies.
[3:49] And the thing that I love the most and which attracts my attention the most when I get the chance to hold a baby is looking at their perfectly formed fingers.
[4:01] They're so small.
[4:03] And the wee wrinkles on the knuckles.
[4:06] And the wee fingernail that you can see through.
[4:09] It's just the detail is incredible.
[4:13] And Jesus became a baby.
[4:18] It's just, it's mind-blowing.
[4:21] Why on earth would God's son take on the form of such a vulnerable being?
[4:32] Totally dependent.
[4:33] You know what it's like.
[4:35] If you've had children or you've grown up around children, those early years are challenging.
[4:42] We were giving thanks for a couple of, for Darcy and for Alfie earlier.
[4:49] And one of the prayers that you get is just, please pray for us as parents.
[4:53] You know, and we need to do that.
[4:54] We need to pray for parents.
[4:56] It's such a challenging and rewarding role to bring up a child in your home.
[5:06] But I suppose romantically, we talk about the starry night a few thousand years ago.
[5:11] But what we see happening here is God's demonstration of his love towards us.
[5:17] His plan for the salvation of mankind was being outworked.
[5:22] And his love for this world was being demonstrated by the birth of Jesus.
[5:27] Emmanuel, God with us in a not so splendid environment, a little stable.
[5:37] And without this event in history, just think about this for a minute.
[5:40] If Jesus hadn't come and taken on the form of a child, fully God, fully human, there wouldn't have been a crucifixion.
[5:53] There wouldn't have been a resurrection.
[5:56] And there would be no hope for mankind.
[6:00] So as we start this series over the next few weeks, I want to think of a few things that Christmas enables us to reflect on in terms of God's love, and that's God's gift, God's invitation, and God's transformation.
[6:14] So the first thing we're going to look at is God's gift of love.
[6:17] Famous words that we see on billboards and the back of buses and held up in sporting events, John 3, 16, for God so loved.
[6:28] Just think about that for a minute.
[6:29] for God so loved that he gave.
[6:38] It was God's love being demonstrated to us that enabled him to give.
[6:46] And what did he give?
[6:47] His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
[6:53] It is because God loves us that he gives.
[6:58] But what is love?
[7:00] you know when you think of the word love what comes into your mind you know is it is it like a feeling is it you know a sense of you look at something i love them is it just an emotion well the bible really helps us understand what love is and there's so much we're not going to cover it all just going to pull out a few things that remind us what love is to help us put a context of what we're talking about when we think about love.
[7:26] The first thing it tells us that God is love.
[7:29] We read that in 1 John.
[7:31] By his very nature, his love is perfect.
[7:35] It's selfless.
[7:37] It's unconditional.
[7:38] He is the essence of love.
[7:41] And then we're reminded that we only love because God first loved us.
[7:46] That's fascinating, isn't it?
[7:48] We love because God loves us.
[7:50] Our ability to love comes from God and his love towards us.
[7:57] And then the greatest commandment that is given is that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind.
[8:04] And we've seen those 19 folks demonstrate that last week as they went through the waters of baptism and confessed that.
[8:12] That was their desire as they would live for Jesus, that he would be the center of their heart, their soul, their mind.
[8:20] And then the second greatest commandment is that we should love each other.
[8:24] We should love our neighbors, ourselves.
[8:26] That love isn't just a vertical relationship, it's a horizontal.
[8:32] And we've talked a lot about that recently, about the whole importance of the we in the church family and the unity that we have in the relationship that we are as children of God.
[8:43] Then the Bible goes on and talks a wee bit about, well, what's the characteristic?
[8:45] What does this love actually look like?
[8:47] Well, it's patient, it's kind, it's not envious, it's not boastful, it's not proud, It's not dishonoring of others.
[8:53] It's not self-seeking.
[8:54] It's not easily angered.
[8:55] It's not willing to keep a score of wrong.
[8:57] It's not delighting in evil, rather rejoicing in the truth.
[9:00] It's always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, always persevering.
[9:04] Wow.
[9:08] There's a lot to love.
[9:11] A lot more than just a feeling or an emotion.
[9:15] And then we read that love is sacrificial.
[9:18] Greater love has no man than this to lay down one's life for his friend.
[9:25] Laying down your life for others, putting others first.
[9:31] Love is unconditional.
[9:32] God demonstrates his love to us in this.
[9:34] While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
[9:37] It's not a matter of, right, David, you need to sort yourself out.
[9:41] You need to stop doing this, that, and the other.
[9:42] You need to do this, this, and this, and then I'll come and show my love to you.
[9:46] No, it's just poured out to us despite our rebellion, despite our enmity in that sense between us and God, this gulf that there is because we want to live our lives our way and not open ourselves up to God and what he would do through us and in us.
[10:07] And I love, we use this passage in Discover Glen Abbey when we're talking about salvation from Titus.
[10:14] It's this whole idea of the unconditionalness of God's love.
[10:18] So it talks about what we were like.
[10:20] At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.
[10:25] We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
[10:29] Not a pretty picture.
[10:30] But when the kindness and love of God, our Savior, appeared, he saved us.
[10:38] Not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy.
[10:42] He saved us through the washing of rebirth, the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Christ Jesus, our Savior, so that being made right, justified by his grace, we might become ours, having the hope of eternal life.
[10:56] And then it says, this is a trustworthy saying.
[11:02] And it's trying to make us understand
[11:06] what God has done through sending his Son when the kindness and love of God, our Savior, appeared.
[11:15] then we read that love is unfailing love never fails
[11:21] it makes you wonder do we really understand how to love when love has failed
[11:30] love is also an action I think this is so important that we understand this it's so easy to say I love you but really underneath the surface it's like you could be seething and say that so it says let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth love is an action love requires us to to respond and to do something which is why god demonstrates his love towards us while we're still sinners he does something it's an action
[12:02] and we see that in in one john we have seen and testified the father sent his son to be the savior of the world.
[12:10] It's this idea we talked about last week about being sent with purpose.
[12:14] But God sends because he loves.
[12:16] Then love is obedience.
[12:17] If you love me, keep my commandments.
[12:19] Now there's a challenging one.
[12:22] And then love, the hardest one I think, extends to our enemies.
[12:25] But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
[12:29] There's a challenge for all of us.
[12:32] And all of these things and many more within the Bible help us understand the kind of love that God's talking about.
[12:42] Help us understand what love is when we say God is love.
[12:47] And that love compels God to take action and give the most precious thing that he had, his son, Jesus, for us.
[12:59] It's God's ultimate demonstration of how much he loves us.
[13:03] And I wonder if this morning and over the coming days, as we rapidly approach Christmas, how do we reflect on, how do we value, how do we respond to God's incredible gift to each one of us?
[13:21] And I suppose my heart is that each of us would have a fresh sense of how much we are loved by God.
[13:30] and that in itself as we approach the Christmas season and we do all the things that we do that are good and enjoyable and that we do it in the context of understanding how much God loves us,
[13:45] how much he has given to us through his son and I wonder if this Christmas can become a time of celebration and enjoying the reality of this love that God has poured out through his son.
[14:01] That we recognize and comprehend the punishment that was placed on Jesus
[14:08] so that we could have freedom to live the life that God wants us to live.
[14:12] That this was done despite our disobedience, despite our selfishness, despite our sin.
[14:18] God came because he wanted us to know him.
[14:21] He wanted a relationship with us.
[14:24] As I said, this is the greatest love story ever told.
[14:28] God is this gift of love.
[14:31] But then we have God's invitation to love.
[14:33] And it's a little thing that you read in the story, and we have it in look to here.
[14:38] It just says, the angels declare peace and goodwill to all people.
[14:44] It's very easy to read that and move on.
[14:46] But to sit and understand that the birth of Christ was an open invitation to all people.
[14:52] That he was to bring peace, peace with God, goodwill, loving one another.
[15:00] What does that look like to all people?
[15:03] It included shepherds and kings, the marginalized and the mighty.
[15:09] All people without exception.
[15:11] God's love is inclusive and available to everyone who seeks him and calls upon his name to be saved.
[15:18] We read that in Romans 10.
[15:21] Or in 1 Timothy 2 it says, and we use this sometimes when we're praying for leaders, we say, I urge first of all that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgiving be made for all people and for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
[15:39] But then it goes on to say this, this is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all people to be saved and to come in knowledge of the truth.
[15:47] I love this.
[15:49] The sense of inclusiveness.
[15:51] No one regardless of gender, social status, ethnicity, language, job, lack of job, even ages excluded.
[15:59] In a world which, let's be honest, thinks that Christians are narrow-minded, bigoted, homophobic, judgmental, exclusive.
[16:08] The message from the Bible is that God so loved the world that he gave.
[16:17] And that Jesus brings peace and goodwill to all people because his heart is that no one should perish but that everyone should come to faith.
[16:28] It's incredible, isn't it?
[16:30] That's his heart, his heart of love for the world.
[16:34] I don't know if any of you have managed to get to a nativity, whether it's a parent or a grandparent.
[16:40] I managed to get to one at one of our grandkids' schools last week.
[16:46] And we had the shepherds, we had the wise men, and to be honest, we had more animals than I knew existed in a stable.
[16:54] We had spiders, mice, chickens, robins, a cockerel, crows.
[16:58] And basically, P1 and P2 took part, and there was about 120 of them, and they all were on the stage at one point.
[17:06] And it wasn't chaotic.
[17:08] And they probably didn't realize the symbolism of it, but it was that sense of the school wanted every child to have its opportunity.
[17:17] to dress up and to be part of the nativity.
[17:20] And the parents and grandparents were all sitting there waving at them and big smiles on their faces.
[17:26] We live in an age now where phones weren't allowed out because the PTA took over that with their phones and then they charge you afterwards, but we'll not go there.
[17:38] But I just love the inclusiveness of it, that every child, regardless of whether they were a lead part or a mouse or a spider, whatever it may have been, was included.
[17:51] And it kind of reminded me of that kind of symbolism of it all.
[17:56] This whole idea that everyone can come to Jesus.
[18:02] No one is excluded.
[18:04] Everyone can enter into a personal relationship with him because God sent him to be with us, to be one of us, so he could be familiar with our ways.
[18:14] You think about that back to that scene of holding the little baby.
[18:19] Part of the reason Jesus came and took on human flesh is that he could live the life that we live.
[18:25] I'd love to get some parenting tips.
[18:27] What was Jesus really like as a baby?
[18:29] The Bible doesn't show us too much of that, but I'm pretty sure he cried.
[18:33] I'm pretty sure he needed his nappy changed.
[18:35] All the stuff.
[18:38] That was God in flesh.
[18:40] I'd love to see what he was like as a seven and eight year old.
[18:46] How did he get on with his siblings?
[18:48] Or as he got older, in teenage years, how did he get on with his peers?
[18:52] We get to see a lot about his ministry and what happened.
[18:54] And we know his heart and his character and what he was like.
[18:57] And we can assume the sort of childhood that he had.
[19:01] But he lived that life so that he could be familiar with us.
[19:06] So regardless of where you are in your life, he understands what it's like to be a human.
[19:15] What it's like to grow up in that setting.
[19:18] I just think that's great.
[19:20] It's really helpful.
[19:21] It's just incredible.
[19:23] The story that's built for us about who Jesus is, how he lived his life, and why he came.
[19:35] It's all built around God's love for us.
[19:38] And this whole idea of an invitation, God's invitation to love, still exists today.
[19:45] I look around the warehouse this morning, I see lots of familiar faces and people that I know, and I know where you stand in terms of your relationship with the Lord and how you've accepted that invitation to ask Jesus to come in and to save you, to give you this newness of life, this freedom that he talks about, this life with purpose, understanding how much you're valued in love.
[20:13] And so you've experienced forgiveness of sin.
[20:17] You've been given a hope for heaven, but you're living now in the reality of a changed life.
[20:25] And that's wonderful.
[20:26] But there's so many people who haven't yet experienced that.
[20:30] And many of them come through the doors of Glen Abbey.
[20:33] week after week, and we hear of different folks coming to faith and it's wonderful to hear of that.
[20:39] And we see people as they journey and grow in their faith and it's wonderful to see that.
[20:45] But this invitation that no one is excluded, and I think we have a responsibility to share God's love with others, especially where God has placed us.
[20:57] We've talked a lot about that last week.
[20:59] You know, in our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, our friendships, groups where God has placed us.
[21:05] We are called to be his ambassadors to live for him.
[21:09] Chris has already mentioned it and you maybe don't know we've got little wee invitations for those of us who aren't techie and have a virtual one, whatever that means.
[21:18] One on your phone that you can send a friend, but for others to maybe just pick up a card on your way out and give it to a neighbor, give it to a family member, invite them along to services over Christmas and just trust God, pray that he would use that opportunity as you give an invitation the same way as you have accepted an invitation.
[21:36] As you give your invitation, pray that God would open up their lives because we are, I said this last week, we are a people sent by God with a purpose.
[21:47] And how we live our life authenticates the message we want to share because people read us.
[21:53] They know exactly what we're like.
[21:55] And I wonder as we approach Christmas and our special services, is this an opportunity for us to take that bold step and just ask someone?
[22:03] It was interesting, I was chatting to someone who was sending me, there was a guy who was in our first service and he hadn't been to Glennau before and I was asking, how did that happen?
[22:14] He said, oh, there's one of the folks in the church was on the train seeing him and invited him.
[22:19] I thought it was cool.
[22:21] Just a simple conversation, a simple invite.
[22:24] So over this Christmas period, as people come through the door of this church, We also, not only is it about us inviting, it's about the invitation people receive when they're here, the warmth of welcome.
[22:35] It's always good to smile.
[22:37] I think we should show some video of the foyer.
[22:42] Sometimes we don't look the most inviting bunch.
[22:48] But not only is it good to smile, it's good to be aware of people as they come home that you don't know.
[22:53] Go over and introduce yourself.
[22:56] Welcome them.
[22:58] that sense of the warmth of God's love just being displayed by how we treat others you never know you maybe get an opportunity to even say could I pray for you when they share something you maybe we've appointed to Jesus I just wonder if we're willing to be bold and intentional this Christmas season in response to God's gift of love to us and his invitation to love
[23:24] to love others and then just as we close this whole idea of God's transforming power of love I think this is so important in 1 John 4 we read this word this is how God showed his love among us he sent his one and only son into the world so God shows us love by doing that we understand that, we see that,
[23:47] we acknowledge that but look what it says at the end that we might live through him the love of Christ doesn't just save us it transforms us and gives us a new identity and purpose in our lives we've been reminded
[24:07] consistently this morning and with a sign in front that God loves us and demonstrates his love to us and we've been challenged that love should be in action
[24:19] it should be something that we do but Jesus as well as saying that we might live through him also says I have come that they may have life and have it to the full the life that we are to live for God is a life that is full full of peace full of joy and abundance and it's not a temporal life but an everlasting life
[24:44] I think that's just incredible and sometimes I think we lose sight of the fact that the hope we have is a living hope.
[24:52] The everlasting life has already started for us and death, if we want to think about death in that sense, really will be an upgrade to a much better life.
[25:04] You know, I kind of think of so many people who have lost loved ones.
[25:08] And for those who know the Lord, you know how God sees that?
[25:12] When he looks down and sees one of his children die, he says, that's precious.
[25:19] That's special.
[25:20] They're coming home.
[25:22] They're coming to somewhere where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears.
[25:29] I love these people.
[25:32] I love everyone.
[25:33] I'm long-suffering.
[25:35] I'm just waiting for more and more people to make this decision to accept my offer of love and forgiveness?
[25:43] Because when death comes, it's painful.
[25:47] Separation is painful.
[25:50] Hearts are broken.
[25:51] Grief is so complex and difficult to navigate, catches us on a words,
[26:01] can last a long time, if not always there in some form.
[26:06] And everybody's journey is different.
[26:08] And it's not what God originally wanted us to experience.
[26:15] And so what he wants us to do is to live for him in the fullness of the life that he has given for us.
[26:23] To enjoy life.
[26:25] But how do we do that, I suppose?
[26:27] How do you live through him?
[26:32] How do you work out this living hope?
[26:36] how does the nearing of death become something that is actually seen as an entrance into something better that is again makes you think doesn't it i thought it might be helpful for me to share a little bit from from how i try to navigate this because how else do we put these things together and join up the dots if we don't share with one another i came to faith personal faith in jesus as an 11-year-old child.
[27:05] I went to the back of the church I attended after a service where I really felt God speaking to me and spoke to the minister of the church and said, I want to accept Jesus.
[27:15] So I got down on my knees in a little chair in the back room and just said, Lord, would you come into my heart?
[27:20] Would you save me?
[27:21] Forgive me for all the things I've done that I shouldn't have done.
[27:26] And I got up and left.
[27:27] And to be honest with you, I didn't feel that much different.
[27:30] I remember going into school after that and sharing with my schoolmates.
[27:37] That wasn't, they weren't like, great job, well done, good for you.
[27:41] It was just more a bit of, made a bit of a laugh and a fun.
[27:45] Thought I was a bit gullible.
[27:47] And so my journey kind of started off with a bit of challenge in terms of resistance.
[27:56] But what I planned and thought it was important to do was to start to acknowledge God in everything that I was doing.
[28:04] and let's be honest as an 11 year old child I was by no way perfect got up to all sorts of nonsense broke my mum and dad's heart at times and you're kind of looking back and thinking I'm sure they wondered was I saved at all at times
[28:17] but the desire was there and I remember as a young teenager we were all encouraged what are you going to do with your life there was an elder in the church used to say this what are you going to do for God in your life you know it's just like one of those questions like don't stop asking me that don't have an answer and we had great influence in our lives as young people growing up in our church and we ended up going off on one of these teams down to a place called Athlone
[28:47] and I've no idea why we agreed to go but if you'd seen the state of us on our first night there where we're getting up the nonsense and the team leader was pulling out to her thinking what are these teenagers like coming on this team.
[29:00] But we ended up spending time in prayer.
[29:04] And what are we going to do?
[29:04] We're going to go out to the streets of the afternoon.
[29:06] You're going to invite people back to the church in the evening.
[29:08] And we're going to show a film that will explain the gospel.
[29:11] And you go out and bring them in.
[29:14] So we went out like, I never thought we were supposed to do it.
[29:17] But how do you do that?
[29:18] You depend on God.
[29:19] You pray.
[29:19] You ask God to help you.
[29:21] And unbelievably, and that's all I can say, unbelievably, there was one man, he came back, a young man came back and attended the event.
[29:32] And at the end of the event, he turned to me and he said, so how do I become a Christian?
[29:35] I'll never forget it.
[29:37] I felt so out of my depth, so not able to present anything with clarity.
[29:44] And yet this young man ended up coming to faith.
[29:46] And you look at that and you think, my goodness.
[29:49] It's what we've talked about.
[29:51] God's stuff for us to do that he prepares for us to do, we don't always see it.
[29:55] But if we just acknowledge him in our life and step out in faith and do things, he doesn't disappoint.
[30:05] And so that just started my journey.
[30:07] And there's people here who know me and can give you the inside track.
[30:12] My ex-youth leader is here, not to embarrass him, and his wife, hugely influential in my life and lots of my friends' lives.
[30:23] Only heaven will tell the true story in that.
[30:27] But they were just opening up their homes and encouraging us to live for the God.
[30:32] So important.
[30:33] And so as I grew this idea of acknowledging God in my life, recognizing I wasn't perfect, still seeking out, well, what does it mean to follow Jesus, to live for him, to have an impact in my life, really started to develop.
[30:50] trying to understand my purpose in school.
[30:53] Primary school was tough.
[30:54] Secondary school was tougher.
[30:56] Particularly the demands of trying to fit in, be accepted, but yet make your stand for what you believe.
[31:03] And it does impact.
[31:05] And then it was starting university.
[31:09] And I remember being part of the, struggling with part of SU, or the CU in university.
[31:15] And there were lots of stuff that were happening in university that were a challenge.
[31:18] And we were trying to let our voice be heard as well.
[31:22] I remember us being in a student's union and standing up and trying to share from the Bible about how God wanted to live our lives.
[31:30] And it was difficult.
[31:31] You were getting shouted down by people who just totally disagreed with you.
[31:34] And it was just, it was like, it was a challenge.
[31:38] But when you put your head above the parapet, people know who you are.
[31:42] And then the spotlight becomes to be put on you and it's challenging.
[31:45] But from university, then it went into the workplace.
[31:48] What does it mean to be a Christian in the workplace?
[31:51] It's all about your honesty, your integrity, your attitude, how you treat others, how you react to situations.
[32:00] Everybody's watching when they know where you stand.
[32:04] And then it went into how do you serve in church?
[32:07] What does that look like?
[32:08] How do you develop relationships?
[32:11] As I was growing up, you start to see girls.
[32:14] You start to notice them.
[32:15] You start to show a bit of an interest in them and you hope they show a bit of interest in you.
[32:19] So I, of course, met Vivian when I was in my teenage years and it was lovely the way God brought us together, but how do you become a boyfriend that loves the Lord and you respect your girlfriend?
[32:34] How do you work through all the challenges of that?
[32:36] What does it mean when you eventually get married to be a husband that loves your wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself for her?
[32:43] That's a big one.
[32:44] I always say to guys when I say that, That's the biggest challenge any husband has.
[32:49] Sacrificial love for your wife.
[32:50] That's the standard God sets.
[32:53] What does that look like in action indeed?
[32:56] And then you become a father.
[32:57] What does it mean to be a father?
[33:00] To set an example to your children.
[33:02] To love them in the Lord.
[33:05] To point them towards the Lord.
[33:08] What does it mean more recently for me to be a grandparent?
[33:10] Grandparent with grace.
[33:12] To impact the lives of your grandchildren.
[33:13] This wonderful opportunity you get if you have grandchildren.
[33:18] and it's a continual learning process where you learn constantly.
[33:23] Every day is a school day with the Lord, learning how to depend on him, learning to trust him with everything, figuring out what it means to seek first the kingdom of God, how to live through him and how to add to your faith so that you actually grow to become more like Jesus.
[33:41] How do you actually change?
[33:44] Well, part of it's a transformation of an understanding of who God is and how much he loves us.
[33:49] And trust me, it's not easy.
[33:52] I make lots of mistakes.
[33:54] I stand here and I can tell you, go and speak to Vivian or my kids if you want to know the real me.
[34:02] I was a wee bit worried after last service when I said that because there was a wee bit of a queue behind Vivian.
[34:06] I thought they were all asking her.
[34:08] Go on, give us the inside track on him.
[34:11] But this challenge to be authentic is real.
[34:16] But where's our heart?
[34:18] Do we have a heart to follow Jesus every day?
[34:24] And are we willing to work through the ups and downs of life and the mistakes we make knowing that forgiveness, past, present, and future is ours?
[34:34] And that God loves us so much that he's long-suffering with us, bearing with us, molding us into the people that he wants us to be, just wanting us to be real, teaching us how to surrender our lives to him, to die the self to live for him.
[34:52] It sounds grand, but it's what obedience to God is asking us to do, to put him first in everything.
[35:00] I know a while back life was a bit challenging for me, and I remember one day, half joking, turning to Vivian and saying to her, said, I am fed up with a stand of self-mark.
[35:12] I just was struggling.
[35:15] It was a half joke, but there was a poignancy in it because it just felt like you were giving and giving and giving and giving.
[35:22] It was tough.
[35:25] I remember realizing and just talking to the Lord about it and just being reminded, look back over your life.
[35:33] Look at my faithfulness.
[35:36] Look how I've always been there in every circumstance.
[35:39] Why would you think it would be any different?
[35:43] And so I just remember coming to him and lamenting.
[35:49] And if you don't know what a lament is, come and talk to me afterwards and I'll give you an inside track on that.
[35:54] I have talked about it on numerous occasions, but just opening your heart out with all of the frustration, all of the pain, all of the disappointment, all of the struggle and just expressing it to God.
[36:07] and then asking him the big asks for what you'd like him to do in those circumstances and situations.
[36:18] And when you've done that, then just trusting him, knowing that he is sovereign, he is in control.
[36:25] He's got you because look what he's done for you, how much he loves you, what he was prepared to do, have relationship with you.
[36:36] That he is, wow, incredible.
[36:39] And I suppose I needed to remind myself that God has given me everything that I need to live for him and through him.
[36:49] We read about that in Peter.
[36:50] By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.
[36:58] That's phenomenal, isn't it?
[37:00] We can't turn around and say, but God, you didn't give me this, you didn't give me that, and you didn't give me the other.
[37:06] He's given us everything we need.
[37:10] And in his word, he shows us clearly what those things are and what it means to love and to grow and to mature and what that looks like and what we put off and what we put on.
[37:18] It's all pretty straightforward.
[37:21] What we need to do is to learn, as Chris said, is get it from here to here and to live it out.
[37:26] Not that any of us are perfect.
[37:29] We're all broken people.
[37:32] We should make it really easy to come alongside each other and help one another in this journey because none of us are different.
[37:42] But what we do together is remind each other of the importance of keep persevering, keep moving forward.
[37:53] And so we need to allow God's word to reshape how we see ourselves and each other.
[37:59] And I suppose this is the crux of maturing, being willing to let go, as people would say, and let God be who he says he is to us and to rest in him.
[38:12] So I suppose this Christmas, can I encourage you to allow the love of God to guide your actions, your conversations, your relationships, even your circumstances.
[38:27] One of the things the Bible constantly reminds us as children is to fear not.
[38:31] Why?
[38:31] Because I am with you.
[38:35] So embrace these truths.
[38:38] Don't be afraid because today, we read those words, today a saviour has been born and his name is Christ Jesus the Lord, God with us.
[38:49] Love.
[38:51] with us.
[38:54] So let's not forget the gift of love, God's invitation to love, God's transforming power of love and the challenge to leave you with is how do we, how will we respond to God's love this Christmas?
[39:08] Can I encourage you to seek out ways to show love tangibly to your family, to your neighbours, to those in need and celebrate together the reality of what love really is.
[39:26] And may this big Christmas season be a wonderful time of joy in here despite what's going on out here because we know God loves us and has given everything to be in relationship with us.
[39:41] Let's pray.
[39:41] Father, we thank you so much for this morning.
[39:43] We thank you for your great love for us and how you demonstrated it to us.
[39:49] We thank you that you have shown us how to love.
[39:53] And we ask that you would help us to offer that gift of love to others as we experience the ongoing joy of the reality of your love in our lives.
[40:05] Lord, help us to be a transformed people.
[40:08] Help us to authenticate the message by how we live our lives and respond to the reality of who you are.
[40:17] and what you have done in each of our lives.
[40:20] Lord, we worship you.
[40:23] We love you.
[40:23] We adore you.
[40:25] We are in awe of you.
[40:27] That you walk with us.
[40:30] That you are always near.
[40:33] That you have given us everything we need to live for you.
[40:37] Help us to learn what that means.
[40:40] Help us to realize that there's ups, there's downs.
[40:43] There's victories and there's losses.
[40:45] but the destination is secure.
[40:49] And we're heading somewhere which is going to be so much better than all the good things we enjoy here.
[40:55] So we love you for that.
[40:57] And we give you thanks in Jesus' name.
[40:59] Amen.