Reflecting on God’s Generosity

As Christmas 2024 is coming soon I want suggest that we reflect on the magnitude of God’s love before we get lost in the buying frenzy heading towards Christmas. It seems obvious to celebrate Jesus during the Christmas season, yet I fear so many of us will enjoy our kids, grand kids and relatives while we let Jesus fade into the background. Being purposeful about focusing on Jesus during this time of year can make all the difference in our lives as we prepare for a new year.

I don’t consider myself a religious person, but I do consider myself a spiritual person. I tend to look at life through the lens of the spiritual meaning and that always leads me back to Jesus, and the Father’s great love for us as stated in the book of John.

John 3:16-17

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. ¹⁷God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

It is so easy to be excited about God’s generosity that we focus almost exclusively on the “Gift” rather than the “Giver.” God loves it when we love others and are generous, but he also delights when we are focused on Him so that he can enjoy our undivided attention. It is in this place that God can do his most transforming work in our souls. This is something Sunday worship is meant to do for us, but our services are so often packed with great music and great preaching that, again, Jesus can fade into the background.

When you read the book of Revelation one thing becomes very clear: Jesus will become the center of attention for everyone, believers and unbelievers, at the end of the age. Whether or not seeing Jesus will be a happy moment for us personally all depends on our position with him.

Revelation 22:12-13

“See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

In this final book in the bible John writes about a wedding celebration because, for the person who loves God and desires his presence, it opens a door of unending fellowship with him. I wonder how many professing Christians have prioritized their relationship with Jesus to see the second coming of Christ as their wedding day?

Revelation 22:16-17

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let each one who hears them say, “Come.” Let the thirsty ones come—anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge.

When I reflect on the Christmas season, I think about God’s plan to send his Son Jesus as a baby so that we would not be afraid. Sending Jesus to be cared for as a child by poor parents living in poor and oppressed land reveals so much of the Father’s plan to gain our trust to repair our broken lives. It’s funny that so many people try to act like they aren’t broken and end up staying broken because they refuse to stop pretending.

Take the shepherds for instance: They were so broken with regards to how the culture viewed them they couldn’t give testimony in a court of law because they were considered too broken to be honest. Yet, God sends angels to them before anyone else and gives them the task of proclaiming God’s love for all broken people if only they will admit their need.

We get so many things wrong when it comes to living. We pass on from one generation to the next the same misconceptions of what’s important in life that we end up rejecting the love of God and His healing power for us.

During my formative years in the 50’s & 60’s there was such upheaval in our American culture. The Vietnam War was in full swing and we were sending men and women there to fight and as fast as we could. My generation rebelled against everything our parents put stock in. When I think back on that time, we really were rebelling against a life with no real meaning other than work hard make money and die. As young people we  wanted stability in our souls and were willing to turn to anything and anyone to gain what seemed to be elusive desire of true happiness.

And just in the midst of all this rebellion God shows up in the “Jesus Movement” to counter balance the evil destruction. When I found Christ I was only 50 miles from Haight-Ashbury San Francisco where the hippie movement started. The contrast of the two driving forces seemed impossible. The hippie movement seemed so much stronger than the Jesus movement, yet God was moving in young people to turn the tide of evil in the land. Once I got saved I traveled and ministered along the West Coast with a singing group of young people proclaiming the love of God. At times it seemed foolish, but somehow God kept us focused and moving forward to proclaim God’s love in Jesus Christ to any who would listen.

During this time in the early 70’s I would testify to God’s saving grace along with this rag-tag group anywhere we could get an audience. I would testify beside a good friend who also got saved during that same time. She found Christ while working for anti-government groups like the “Symbionese Liberation Army” that kidnapped Patty Hearst. Here we were, two of the most unlikely converts from worlds apart, sharing side by side about the power of Jesus Christ. When Christ changes our heart we are now related in the family of God.

Back to the story of the shepherds: Most people didn’t trust them at all, but God gave them the task of sharing the good news of God’s love to a lost and broken world, just like he did with those of us in the Jesus Movement. Pretty impossible right, but people listened.

Luke 2:16-18

The Shepherds ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.

So here is my main point: If we have been forgiven of our many sins, deserve being separated from a loving God forever, and now find ourselves being benefactors of His gracious love; shouldn’t we take time at the end of this year to refresh our memories of such amazing forgiveness and fan into flame of our own love for Him?

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and religious leaders about their lack of gratitude and hard hearts when a woman came and anointed his feet. She was known as an immoral woman and yet God had touched her soul so much that she came to honor Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus challenged the Pharisee about his lack of kindness and mercy by talking about his own forgiveness. Jesus said that, to the degree we realize we have been forgiven, we should act with that same degree of gratitude and kindness towards others. How often do we fail to let the forgiveness of God soften our hearts enough to care about those around us who need God’s forgiveness as well.

Luke 7:47

I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Let me encourage all of us to take a few minutes to get alone this Christmas and consider our own forgiveness. If we have allowed any new sin to enter our lives and not confessed them we should, in a simple act of surrender; confess, apologize and repent. If we have sinned against another person we should visit them, call them, or write an email to them admitting our sin and asking forgiveness. If we are current and up to date in our walk with God, we should ask the Holy Spirit to refresh our sense of being blessed this year: blessed for being forgiven and adopted as children of God. Our souls should speak a simple prayer of thanksgiving and adoration, then treat others with greater kindness and love.

When you rise from your prayer, trust the Holy Spirit to use you just like the shepherds were used. Don’t look at your own weakness, but rather look at God who is able to save others possibly through our acts of kindness in the name of Jesus

Questions:

1) Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you right now about loving others more fully? Trust the Holy Spirit in you to make the difference.

2) Have you allowed your witness to expand or shrink in 2024? Surrender to the Holy Spirit and let him help you love others more fully.

Pastor Dale