The Light of Christ

[SLIDE 1]

[THEME SONG - Instrumental]

[SLIDE 2-5]

John 1:1–5 NRSV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Noah Light the Christ Candle

[SLIDE 6]

Welcome

A Merry Christmas Eve to you all!

Let's gather in to hear the story of how the savior of the world came to be with us. If you haven’t found you spot yet, find a comfortable seat, grab a warm beverage and some snacks, snuggle up to your favorite people, and settle in for what I hope will be a warm and pleasant evening.

For any of you who don’t know me, I’m Pastor Ryan and I will be your narrator for the evening. As you entered you should have recieved a candle, if you missed yours, then simply raise your hand and one of our ushers will bring you one. Also, feel free to step out to get yourself a refill if you like. We do ask that you keep your mask on whenever you aren’t eating or drinking.

For those of you joining us online, welcome and thank you for worshipping with us on this special evening. If you have a candle nearby, I want to encourage you to have it ready for later on in the program.

[SLIDE 7]

Story of Christmas Lights

If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite parts of the Advent season is the lights. I love how they take otherwise dark and gloomy spaces and make them feel warm and inviting. Did you know that, before we had electric Christmas lights people would light simple candles and place them in the windows of their homes. This wasn’t merely a decoration though, the candles were a symbol. You see, most homes back in the day were on these long, dark country roads and on a cold and snowy night, it was easy to lose your way and lose track of time. Weary travelers would find themselves on these dark roads worried about when they would make it to the next town. But, then they would see this little bit of light in someone’s window.

That little candle was an invitation to come in, find shelter from the cold and rest from their travels. For the homeowner, it was a sign of hospitality, a way of making space and preparing for someone else, but for the traveler it was more than hospitality, it revealed hope. That little bit of light showed them that whatever worries and troubles they expected wouldn’t be there forever and it would lift their spirits, providing energy and resources for the rest of the journey.

That’s why I love Christmas lights, because they remind me of the light of Christ. Jesus is the light of the world and in the middle of whatever darkness we face, he is shelter on our journeys, rest for our weariness. His light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not and will not ever overcome it.

[THEME SONG]

How the Story Begins

Th story of Christmas starts long before the birth of Jesus. It begins way back when Israel, a nation set apart to be a beautiful light to the world found herself being dragged into exile by the wicked empire of Babylon. Those that had been called to be light found themselves in deep darkness. But a prophet named Isaiah spoke a message from God, a message of hope that one day a hero would come to rescue them...

[SLIDE 8-12]

Isaiah 9:2b–7 NLT

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Story of False vs. Real Hope

[SLIDE 13]

There is a story in our scriptures about a prophet named Jonah. You see, Jonah was a famous prophet, everyone in Israel loved him and, as far as prophets go, he was living the high life. But God spoke to Jonah and told him to go to the city of Nineveh to tell them to turn from their wicked ways and repent. God wanted to forgive them and heal them. You see, Nineveh was a dark place where the entire culture was wrapped up in unhealthy and harmful practices, and Jonah knew it. Israelites were disgusted by Ninevites and Jonah wanted nothing to do with them. He didn’t think they deserved to be forgiven and he didn’t believe that they would ever change their ways.

You may know the story, Jonah tries to run from God’s plan, but God sends a storm and a giant fish to convince Jonah to go. But that’s not the part of the story I wan’t to tell you about. You see, Jonah, was just like all the other heroes, he was flawed, just like the people God was sending him to. Jonah first fled from God, then finally gave in and went to the Ninevites who, despite Jonah’s best efforts, repented and turned to God. Then Jonah fell into a dark depression because he wanted God to punish the Ninevites rather than save them.

I don;t know if you’ve noticed, but sometimes our heroes really let us down. We look to other people to find hope in dark places, but all they end up doing is serving themselves. But Jonah’s story is important because it tells us that we need something different. We need a hero that isn’t driven by a desire for punishment and self-righteousness, but by a desire for peace and restoration. Like the light in the window that doesn’t care about whether the weary traveler is good enough to deserve help, so the light of Christ shines in the darkness as a light for all people. It’s a light that multiplies, spreads, and grows. It’s a light that trades retribution and punishment for transformation and restoration. It’s a light we desperately need in this dark world.

It reminds me of a song, it goes, “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep God is not dead nor doth He sleep The wrong shall fail the right prevail With peace on earth goodwill to men”

[SONG - I heard the bells?]

Introducing the Annunciation

Israel was waiting in the darkness for hundreds of years until one day the announcement came. Let’s sit back and hear our friend Larry read the story of the annunciation of Jesus’ birth from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1. The words wont be on the screen so that we can all focus of listening to the story.

[SLIDE 14] - no words, just an image

Luke 1:26–38 NLT

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Story Break: God's Plans are bigger than we can expect

[SLIDE 15]

Sometimes God uses little acts of humility to become big acts of hope. You see all these years Israel kept looking to people like Jonah to save them, people who were famous and well loved, people who knew all the answers and had confidence. But those people just kept leading them astray. But God only tends to use the popular, famous, and powerful people to show us how flawed they are. Instead, when God really wants to do something special, he turns to the people we least expect. God turns to the dirty, the weak, the humble, the outcast, the oppressed, the sinner. You see, the light of Christ shines brightest in the darkest places.

That’s why God sent his messenger Gabriel to Mary and Joseph. Joseph was a builder in the tiny town of Nazareth in the middle of nowhere who was engaged to a young girl named Mary. These young people were far from being influential or powerful, but what they lacked in influence God used for something incredible. You see, God knew that we needed a different kind of savior, not another powerful hero from an influential family. God himself, the creator of the world, was going to come and show us how to be human, and he chose to be born like any old person, to these ordinary people.

Mary and Joseph were not chosen because they were already holy, they were not chosen because they were special. They were simply chosen, and when God said “you” they said “yes”. That’s all it took. Mary’s small “yes” to God was the choice that set a candle in the window for all humanity.

It was just like Gabriel said, “For nothing will be impossible with God” Every one of us can point to Christ like Mary did by responding to God’s invitation with a simply “Yes”.

[SONG - Be Born in Me]

[SLIDE 16-17]

John 1:10–13 NRSV

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

Giving Intermission

[SLIDE 18]

Before we continue our story we’re going to take a quick break to learn about a special project we’ve taken on as a community in order to be a light for the children and volunteers at Kay Refij orphanage in Haiti. Sue, would you come on up and tell us more about it?

[Sue Slocum]

Remember what Gabriel said? “For nothing will be impossible with God” I believe that is completely true and I’ve seen God do some amazing things with money. If you are sensing an invitation to give toward this project or to make giving a regular part of your life with God then the practical side is super easy. If you have a smartphone with the valley chapel app on it, I want to encourage you to open it up right now and click the give button right at the bottom.

[SLIDE 19]

We have boxes in the back for physical offerings and giving online is straightforward on our app or at valleychapel.org/give. If you would like to make a special gift toward our Advent Conspiracy goal, then simply note it on your check or select the “Advent Conspiracy” fund.

Right now the band is going to lead us in a song. While we all stand and sing, take a moment to pray, consider what God may be inviting you to give, and if you feel so led, make the offering right now. If you need some time we will keep the fund open until the end of the year.

Let’s all join together in song

[JOY TO THE WORLD MEDLEY]

RECAP

[SLIDE 20]

So where were we?

The world is still in darkness, waiting on a savior to come and offer us a bit of hope, offer us that candle in the window. And instead of doing it by sending a rockstar hero like Jonah who was bound to fail us, God called on a young girls and her humble fiancee; people who had nothing to offer but their faithful yes. And that little light carried in Mary’s womb was about to start spreading...

Luke 2:1–20 NLT

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, 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, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Immanuel, God with us

The light shone in the darkness but did not overcome it. The light of God came to these young shepherds who God wanted to share the good news with. You see, when God arrives in the world, news starts to spread fast, but through the least likely people. He doesn;t need to shout it from the rooftops, he just shows a few humble people and they just can’t help but share the news. God doesn’t come into the world with a BANG, but with a twinkle, like a silent yet warm candle in the window.

[SLIDE 21]

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

The candle in the window, the light in the darkness, the hope for the weary traveler is a quiet invitation to join in Christ’s birth, to trust in the savior who wasn’t born in the headline news, but in a dirty stable surrounded by stranger who immediately became family.

You know, that kind of sounds like us doesn’t it? If it weren’t for Jesus, we would be lost and weary strangers, but because of him we are all invited to be a part of the family of God. We are all invited to receive the light of Christ and spread it to our neighbors in order to remember how we are all members of the family of God, we are all welcome and invited to take rest in him and shelter from the storm.

Let’s turn off the lights, and while we do take a moment to take out the candle you recieved on your way in. From the small Christ candle on our wreath we will see the light of Christ spread among us...

[SING Silent Night & Distribute Candle flames from the Christ Candle]

[SLIDE 22-25]

John 1:14–18 (NRSV)

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

[SONG of Celebration]

Conclusion

[SLIDE 26]

God is with us, hope is here, and we have good reason to celebrate! I pray that as we all depart and look at the lights on the homes along our way we are reminded of the light of Christ that quietly draws us in, offers shelter from the storm and invites us to share the good news to everyone around us.

It has been a joy to remember this beautiful story with you tonight, as you go...

- Photo Booth

- Sunday’s Service Online at valleychapel.org

- Jan 2nd In-person worship and communion

Have a Merry Christmas!