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Lord Jesus, you loved us so much as to be present, incarnate, one of us, beside us. In this joyous Christmastide we celebrate your presence among us in our world that we call home. And yet Lord Jesus for some you will not be that close, for they tend to treat you and their enemies the same way. Lord Jesus, thank you for moving into our neighborhood in flesh and blood.
For through your birth, the word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. Lord Jesus, we celebrate Christmas, as we celebrate your birth and life. As we prepare to enter into the New Year of 2009.
Amen
WELL IT’S OVER AND WE’VE SURVIVED ANOTHER YEAR OF GIFTS, FOOD, DIGESTION, RELATIVES, THANK GOD THE RELATIVES WENT HOME. THANK GOD THAT GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER IS ONLY A SONG. AND THANK GOD WE DON’T HAVE TO SING “The Twelve Days Of Christmas” AGAIN UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!
So Christmas is over, remember the suffix, the ending of the spelling of Christ, “mas” means to celebrate. And now that we have celebrated Christmas and Giftmas where do we go from here?
Where are we headed from here, as we prepare to leave the Year 2008 and enter into the Year 2009? What have we learned in 2008, to better prepare us in our faith, our attitude and our choices for 2009?
This past year my wife Pilar and I had the privilege to see a movie that not only made an impression on us but that we could also relate to personally and professionally. A movie that teaches one about faith, attitude and choices.
Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman portray two hospital roommates who are diagnosed with cancer. One of the men is an irascible billionaire, the other a scholarly mechanic. While receiving their chemotherapy they made their minds up to do something about their lives.
They came to the realization that the gift of cancer, (yes a diagnosis of cancer is a gift); for the gift of cancer has made them, makes many, re-prioritize their priorities.
In this wisdom the two roommates developed a Bucket List. They wrote out a list of what they want to do before they died and kicked the bucket.
Through the diagnosis of cancer two men overcame their differences in race, life and different interest. Their diagnosis of cancer made them see life the same and in this they decided their cancer was not a death sentence but a life sentence. The question for them became, “How am I going to live my life sentence?” Lie down and die or take charge and live?
In the words of the Psalmist, Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Wisdom that often comes from life experiences, which after watching The Bucket List my wife and I wrote out a list of things we wanted to do in 2008. We are now writing out a list of things we want to do in 2009. I’m readying to go parachuting, anyone want to join me?
In studying the Bible we learn of a man who wrote his own Bucket List which he wrote to the believers in a church he has never been to in the city of Colossae. We know him as the Apostle Paul, he wanted to show fellow believers that irrelevant of where one may be, remember the Apostle Paul was in prison for expressing his faith to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and Paul wanted all to know that Jesus Christ is the only real source of power in our lives.
Open your Bible to our Scripture Lesson, Paul’s Bucket List of how we as Christians should be maintain our relationships with those we meet, believers and non-believers, and how we as believers should remember who chose us. Colossians 3:12-15,
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another
and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, (Note it does not say as the Lord has forgotten. The key, is remembering while not dwelling and not moving forward) so you must also forgive. (To forgive is not so much for the one who has offended you as for your own inner healing.) And above all of these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15, from the New Living Translation.
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you and you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Did you notice what Paul’s Bucket List did not say? “You must clothe yourself of this world with a hardened heart, no mercy or kindness or humility, do not be gentle and have no patience with another.
Did you notice that the Apostle Paul tells us that peace does not come from addictions that of this world, but peace come from Christ presence in your hearts. “For as members of one body
(not members of the world) you are all called to live (not in war) in peace. And always be thankful.
I want you to turn your bulletin over and on the backside let’s take time to start your Bucket List for 2009. What do you want to do in this upcoming year with your life, with another?
How’d it feel writing your Bucket List? Awkward? Because you’re doing something for yourself and you’re not allowed to do anything for yourself.
Open your Bible to the New Testament and our Sermon Text, Colossians 4: 1-6.
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Let me ask you, what is a slave to you?
Is a slave in prison or is a slave an individual who is often seen in society as the “Outcast?” Is a slave a color, a gender, a nationality,
or an attitude? Are you a slave to your lifestyle and unaware of it?
What we are speaking of here is a perception and how we treat another we will be accountable to the Master, Our Father Who Art In Heaven, and one day there will be a day of accountability as we stand before God.
As you were writing your Bucket List did you write prayer? As the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 4:2-6
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ,
(Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ is alive) on account of which I am in prison,
(The Apostle Paul served time in prison for publicly proclaiming his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and
Savior) that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,
(“seasoned with salt” for food without seasoning tends to leave a bad taste in the mouth and is hard to swallow. We must be careful that what we say is not hard for another to swallow what comes from our
lips.) so that you may know how to answer every one. (The key is to be honest with good taste for when we are not honest we cannot remember what we have said and dishonesty leaves a bad taste in others mouth to where they do not want to interact and or deal with
us.)
The future of Jesus will continue but it is our calling to announce to the world through our words and actions that Luke proclaimed in the Book of Luke 2:11:
For unto you this day a child is born in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the King.
On this, the last Sunday, December 28, 2008, come to the altar and let me pray for you. Pray for you as we leave the old behind to begin a new year.
Sometimes we forget to look around us. Some days we can’t see the joy that surrounds us. So caught up inside ourselves we take when we should receive.
So for tonight we can pray for what we know can be. And on this day we hope for what we can’t see. It’s up to us to be the change and even though we all can still do more. There’s so much to be thankful for.
Look beyond ourselves there’s so much sorrow. It’s way too late to say I’ll cry tomorrow. Each of us must find our truth it’s so long overdue.
So for tonight we pray for what we know can be and every day we hope for what we still can’t see. It’s up to us to be the change and even though we all can still do more. There’s so much to be thankful for.
Even with our differences there is a place we’re all connected. Each of us can find each other’s light.
So for tonight we pray for what we know can be and every day we hope for what we still can’t see. It’s up to us to be the change and even though this world needs so much more.
There’s so much more to be thankful for.
Father God another year is dawning with the chance to start anew.
For those who are gathered at this moment, May you be kinder,
wiser in all you say and do.
Not so caught up in selfish gain that you would fail to see the things in life cost not a fancy fee.
The warm kind word that you can give, the outstretched hand to help. The prayers you pray for those in need more precious these than wealth.
You know not what may lie ahead of laughter or of tears. You only need to know each day that our Lord is walking near.
You should be thankful for this brand new year as now you humbly pray.
Your hands secure in our dear Lord each step along the way.
Father God as we exit 2008 to enter into 2009 may we be your servants and do your will, not the will of this world. Bless each and every member of this church family and their love ones as well as all of your children Father God. As we leave this place to go out those front doors into the neighborhood, into the world. Watch over us and guide us on the road that lies ahead in which we place in your trust and wisdom Father God.
Amen.
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