Covenant
United Methodist Church
Sunday School 9:45 Worship 8:30 & 10:45 am
CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON- LUKE 2:1-20 WILL YOU TAKE HIM HOME?
WALLY WAS A BIG KID, CLUMSY AND KIND OF SLOW. HE HAD WANTED TO PLAY JOSEPH IN THE CHRISTMAS PLAY, BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY LINES AND THE TEACHER WAS AFRAID THAT HE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO REMEMBER ALL THE LINES. BUT WALLY HAD A BIG HEART AND SO SHE GAVE HIM A PART. HIS PART WAS TO PLAY THE INN KEEPER… HE HAD ONE LINE… THE LINE WAS “NO, THE INN IS FULL.” WALLY’S PARENTS REHEARSED THE LINE WITH WALLY ALL WEEK. WALLY HAD IT DOWN PERFECTLY. AND IN DRESS REHEARSAL EVERYONE WAS IMPRESSED WITH WALLY’S ABILITY TO SAY HIS LINE.
THE NIGHT OF THE PLAY EVERYTHING WENT FINE. IT GOT TIME FOR WALLY TO SAY HIS LINE. JOSEPH SAID HIS LINE, “WE SEEK LODGING.” AND WALLY SAID HIS ONE LINE, “NO THE INN IS FULL!” JOSPEH SAID HIS NEXT LINE, “SIR WE HAVE SEARCHED EVERYWHERE IN VAIN. WE ARE TIRED AND WEARY. CAN’T YOU HELP US.” AND WALLY REITERATED HIS LINE, “NO THE INN IS FULL.” AS WAS REHEARSED JOSEPH WALKED UP TO MARY AND MARY PUT HER HEAD ON JOSEPH’S SHOULDER. THE TWO OF THEM BEGAN TO WALK AWAY. WALLY WATCHED AS THE COUPLE WALKED AWAY HIS MOUTH WIDE OPEN, CONCERN ON HIS FACE, TEARS WELLING UP IN HIS EYES… AND THAT’S WHEN THE MIRACLE HAPPENED… WALLY CALLED OUT, “DON’T GO JOSEPH, MARY COME BACK, YOU CAN HAVE MY ROOM!”
I WONDER TONIGHT IF YOU WILL MAKE ROOM FOR THE CHRIST CHILD IN YOUR CHRISTMAS. WILL YOU TAKE CHRIST HOME WITH YOU?
SOMETIMES WE GET SO INVOLVED WITH GETTING EVERYTHING READY FOR CHRISTMAS, MAKING SURE ALL THE DETAILS ARE JUST RIGHT, THAT WE FORGET THE ONE WE ARE HONORING.
7 LITTLE WORDS IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON TONIGHT SAY IT ALL. “THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN.” THINK ABOUT IT…THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF JESUS LIFE AND IT ENDS UP BEING THE PROBLEM FOR SOME PEOPLE EVEN TODAY. NO ROOM. WE ARE JUST TOO CROWDED. SADLY SOME OF US GET SO BUSY WITH THE DETAILS OF CHRISTMAS THAT WE FORGET TO ALLOW ROOM FOR THE SAVIOR….WON’T YOU LET HIM IN THIS CHRISTMAS? WON’T YOU LET HIM IN WITH OPEN ARMS? WON’T YOU MAKE ROOM FOR HIM TONIGHT. IN ORDER TO DO THAT YOU HAVE TO CAST OUT THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE BOUND YOU, THAT KEEP YOU FROM BEING CLOSE TO JESUS, THAT KEEP YOU FROM LETTING HIM IN. IT MAY BE ANGER AT SOMEONE OR SOME FEAR YOU KEEP HIDDEN, OR SOMETHING OR SOMEONE YOU WANT TO OWN. THE TRUTH IS THAT WHEN YOU TRULY INVITE CHRIST IN HE WILL TAKE AWAY THAT ANGER OR FEAR OR GREED. BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO DECIDE TO TAKE THE CHRIST CHILD HOME WITH YOU AT CHRISTMAS. YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM THE ROOM.
THERE IS A STORY TOLD ABOUT A MINISTER WHO WAS FRANTIC. IT WAS ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND THE NATIVITY SCENE WASN’T PERFECT AT THE CHURCH. SOMEONE HAD TAKEN OFF WITH BABY JESUS FROM HIS RESTING PLACE. HE CALLED AROUND TO MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH, BUT TO NO AVAIL. HE COULDN’T FIND THE BABY. THE CONGREGATION GATHERED FOR WORSHIP AND THE PASTOR INFORMED THE CONGREGATION OF THE THEFT. HE ASKED THEM TO RETURNTHE BABY TO THE MANGER FROM WHERE HE WAS TAKEN. NO ONE GAVE THE BABY BACK.
THE NEXT MORNING AS HE WAS WALKING HOME, FEELING DEFEATED, IMAGINE LOSING THE BABY JESUS ON CHRISTMAS EVENING! HE CAME ACROSS TOMMY A LITTLE BOY FROM THE CHURCH. TOMMY WAS WALKING BEHIND A BRAND NEW RED WAGON. THE PASTOR KNEW JUST HOW STRAPPED FOR MONEY THE FAMILY HAD BEEN AND KNEW THIS WAS A GREAT GIFT FOR THE BOY. YET HE ALSO KNEW FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH TOMMY, THAT THIS HAD BEEN HIS HEARTS DESIRE. WHEN HE CAME UPON TOMMY HE WAS SURPRISED THOUGH. IN THE BACK OF THE WAGON WAS THE BABY JESUS, FROM THE NATIVITY SCENE.
THE MINSTER CAME UPON TOMMY AND SAID, “WHY DID YOU STEAL THE BABY FROM HIS BED?” TOMMY BROKE DOWN IN TEARS AND SAID, “I DIDN’T STEAL HIM! IT’S JUST THAT I PROMISED JESUS THAT IF I GOT MY RED WAGON I WANTED TO TAKE HIM OUT FOR THE FIRST RIDE.”
WILL YOU TAKE THE BABY JESUS HOME WITH YOU TONIGHT? NOT THE ONE SITTING IN OUR MANGER UP HERE. THE REAL ONE, THE LIVING CHRIST. THE ONLY INN HE WANTS TO FIND SHELTER IN IS THE INN OF YOUR HEART. AND WHEN YOU LET HIM IN HE CASTS OUT ALL THAT STUFF THAT BINDS YOU, ANGER AND GREED AND FEAR. TAKE THAT JESUS HOME WITH YOU, THE JESUS WHO IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CAST OUT THAT WHICH BINDS YOU. TAKE HIM HOME AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS.