Christmas at Ridgepoint

Ridgepoint Community Church

Dec 10, 2021

Pastor Harry to open in prayer

Isaiah 9:6,7 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - 3 verses

Luke 2:1-7 1And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

2. Away in a Manger - 4 verses

3. O Little Town of Bethlehem - 3 verses

Luke 2: 8-15 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

4. Angels We Have Heard on High – 4 verses

Luke 2:16-20 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

5. Silent Night – 3 verses

Sermon: Pastor Andrea

During Advent, we think and we speak about waiting, about expectantly watching for Jesus… both as we anticipate celebrating his birth, but also as we look for his second Advent, his second arrival, when He has promised to wipe every tear from our eyes. To make everything new.

We use these really nice words during Advent and around Christmas…hope, peace, joy, love. But these words… they are more than just “nice words” … they are words that reveal an alternate reality. They are words that help us remember how revolutionary Christmas really is. And they are words that remind us that Christmas isn’t only nostalgia for years gone by, but is sign of the big story that our personal stories have been woven into…are being woven into.

At Christmas, and during the season of Advent, while we’re waiting for the celebration, we hear a lot of words thrown around. “Nice words” like… hope, peace, joy, love…

But I wonder sometimes if we have forgotten just how revolutionary those words really are. What is hope anyway?

What does peace really look like?

What does joy feel like?

And, do we really know love?

I wonder what you’re most waiting or longing for this year…

Are you waiting for hope? Maybe hope for the end of the pandemic? Or hope for your last years to be as meaningful and rich as possible? Or hoping just for what you need to get through the day? Through the year? (Me too)

It’s easy for hope to downgrade itself to a quiet optimism. We “hope” things will turn out. We look at something and we try to think of how to make it better…to optimize it. To make little improvements until maybe it will somehow actually be better. But hope is actually far more revolutionary than that. Christian hope is rooted in God. Even when things are not improving, we know that we are held by the love of God and so we do not lose hope. And we tell the story of hope throughout the year… how Jesus is born into the world, light dawning in the midst of darkness. And then just a few months later, we’ll tell of the death of this same Jesus… and by all accounts, on Good Friday, death has won, hope is lost. And optimism won’t do in that moment. Resurrection cannot be contained by optimism. But resurrection is exactly what gives us hope even when it looks like all is lost. Our hope is rooted in a God who can bring something out of nothing. Life out of death.

Are you waiting for peace - for an absence of conflict in the world at large? Or maybe within your own family.

It’s kind of a natural thing for us to settle for “getting along” or even just tolerating one another rather than to yearn for the true peace. Shalom is the hebrew word for peace. And when Shalom is described in the Bible things fit together the way they are intended. People relating to God rightly. People relating to one another rightly, both as individuals and as groups and nations. And then people relating to the rest of creation rightly, taking care of the earth and stewarding creation the way we were asked to from the beginning.

Shalom, is a much bigger thing, a much more revolutionary thing than simply a moment without conflict. Peace. Shalom.

Maybe this year you waiting for joy. Watching for those little sparks - either in the faces of others, or maybe in your own soul? (Me too)

I think the natural decay of our sense of joy, is both to limit it to feelings of happiness and to divorce it from community.

Joy is a response of happiness, yes, but it is happiness that gets expressed in community. And joy can be sparked not only because something good has happened to us, but also because of what is going on with and for others.

The Anchor Bible dictionary describes joy like this:

The experience of deliverance and the anticipation of salvation provide the most significant occasions for rejoicing among the people of God in the OT. The coming of the Messiah, who delivers his people and brings salvation becomes the basis for rejoicing in the NT. The response of joy, gladness, or happiness is not only a deep inward feeling, but is expressed in celebration when God’s people gather together.

Joy expresses itself song and dance, feasting and celebration. Now, that might look different at this moment than it has in the past.

In the OT, much of the talk of joy was about the people being delivered from their enemies. Physical salvation.

But the NT sees a new expression of joy… and it show up right in the middle of the Christmas story… you know the line. What did the angel say to the shepherds… Luke 2:10-11

Luke 2:10–11 (NIV)

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Joy here looked like ragtag shepherds running into Bethlehem looking for the new king. A celebration that featured a tired carpenter named Joseph, Mary, wh must have been an exhausted and overwhelmed new mother - for what new mother isn’t?

Or maybe you are waiting for love? Scanning the horizon, waiting for the phone to ring, counting down the days til you can see the ones you love? Or remembering the ones you can no longer see, but who you love all the same? (Me too)

Love.

We’ve likely each tasted of love in its best forms. And we’ve likely each tasted the disappointment, the heartbreak even that love sometimes brings.

But what does the love we see at Christmas look like?

Well, I think it looks like the faithful and never stopping love of God that runs right through the whole story… from creation to covenant to the Jesus story and all the way to the new creation. God’s love is present all through the story. And all through our stories.

And then God call us to love God and to love our neighbour. And Jesus demonstrates for us what that looks like. A love that acts. A love that gives. A love that sees what others miss. A love that sets rights and privileges aside. A love that gives one self away. A love that lays down one’s life. A love that death cannot defeat. A love that never gives up. That keeps going. Until everything is made new.

So I wonder, what are you waiting for this Christmas?

During this season when we think about waiting, about expectantly watching for Jesus… both as we anticipate celebrating his birth, but also as we look for his second Advent, his second arrival, when He has promised to wipe every tear from our eyes. To make everything new.

We use these really nice words during Advent and around Christmas…hope, peace, joy, love. But these words… they are more than just “nice words” … they are words that reveal an alternate reality. They are words that help us remember just how revolutionary Christmas really is.

When Jesus came, when Jesus was born into this world, his arrival flipped something. Ignited something. Hinted at the reality that God doesn’t just ask us to wait. God doesn’t expect us to muster up a little more hope, a decent amount of peace, a glimmer of joy, to squeeze out an ounce of love.

When Jesus was born, we finally started to see what God is really like...

Hope personified.

Peace, wholeness enfleshed.

Joy made full.

Love that never ends.

Merry Christmas.

6. Joy to the World - 3 verses

Perry to close