The New Year is right around the corner. By way of preview, we’re going to be studying the second half of the book of Acts. Acts tells the story of how the first followers of Jesus, and the Early Church, began to flourish. Last winter we unpacked the first half (first 12 chapters). In the first half of Acts, Jesus is preached in all Jerusalem and Judea. The Apostolic ministry of Peter and John is central. The Jewish people were the very first to hear the gospel. But starting in Acts 13 (the second half), the gospel breaks loose, and penetrates into Samaria, then Gentile cities, until all of the known world hears of Jesus (The Roman Empire, perhaps even Spain). It’s a fascinating account, you won't be disappointed.
The premise of Acts is that Jesus isn't just for the Jew, but also the Gentile. Jesus isn't just for the insider, but also the outsider. Not just men but women. Not just the freeman but also the slave is our brother. The premise is that in Christ, God is reconciling all the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them.
This morning if you’d allow, I'd like to mention one last invitation of Christmas. First though, I would like you to do a kind of spiritual inventory, of what's we've talked about this Christmas. We began the series “LOOKING UP." I know that many of us are in very different places. To what degree have you found hope in Christ Jesus? What is your story… how has Jesus changed your life? How important is to you that other people find Hope in Christ?
We spent time “LOOKING BACK." Is it your conviction that Hope is found exclusively in Jewish history? There is no other history, lived by man, that uniquely contains such hope as that of Jewish people. What other history includes covenants such as God made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and a thousand generations? What other history contains the kind of Laws (or even wisdom) as given Israel? What other history is filled with miraculous signs, wonders, and mighty workings of a living, personal God? What history contains the kinds of prophets, pinpoint prophecies, warnings pointing to a coming Messiah, King, and Christ? I love American history, Ancient history… but there only salvation in Jewish history.
We spent time “LOOKING INTO” the face of Jesus, starting in the manger. Is it your conviction that in looking into the face of Jesus, we are indeed looking into the face of the Living God? No one has ever seen God, but God has made himself known in face of Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God. The exact representation of his being. The radiance of God's glory. To know Jesus is to know eternal life. Is it your conviction that life is found exclusively looking into the face of Jesus. How deeply have you gazed upon Jesus, and come to know him?
We spent time “LOOKING FORWARD" to the continued rise of Jesus in our lives and world. Is it your conviction that Jesus is not only our Savior but Lord of our life? Is it your conviction that Jesus’ governance over all your heart, mind, body and soul … Jesus’ governance over all our relationships… that living surrendered, loving God with all our heart, mind body and soul… loving others just as in Christ God first loved us… Is it your conviction that whatever 2025 may bring… our best and greatest hope is to bend our knee, die to self, and let Christ be our very life? Is it your conviction that our greatest hope is that Jesus would prevail as Savior and King in our lives, our nation, our world, in 2025?
On Christmas Eve we looked closely at the story of Mary—and how she was overcome by a sense that the God of the Universe was “LOOKING UPON HER”… wee little Mary, with favor! Not only that, but she realizes that God had been looking with favor upon “those who fear him” for a thousand generations…. Not just in the present, but past and future generations to come! What a spectacular realization. God’s mercy, grace, kindness, favor is not just for me but all who have come before me and will come after me!
In Matthew's genealogy he goes out of his way to show how God, in his grace would enfold some of the most scandalous stories of old. I thought it was awesome that the New York Times ran a huge article about this very topic. Jesus' dysfunctional human family includes the likes of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba. Matthew could have included Sarah, Rachel, Leah, Esther, or other names. But it wouldn't have had the same effect. We all need the same mercy.
By the way, I have a confession to make. Lara and I like to watch movies together. No that's not the confession. It’s that some of them are hallmark movies. Again, just kidding. We love to watch stories about redemption. I don't know why, but I find myself crying like a baby at certain movies!
One of my new favorite Christmas movies is Spirited. In Spirited, Will Ferrell plays the part of one of the Christmas’s ghosts. It’s a spinoff of the epic Christmas Story. The person Will Ferrell is to haunt (who is played by Ryan Reynolds) proves to be so difficult, all the other ghosts quit. Come to find out, Ryan’s character wasn’t supposed to be chosen in the first place, because he was flagged “unredeemable" in the Christmas files. But the real genius of the movie isn’t just that Ryan Reynolds character was flagged “unredeemable”, but Will Ferrell's character was once labeled unredeemable as well! In the movie, Will Ferrell's character has to work out the answer to a question that has haunted him all the centuries he's been a Christmas ghost. The question is, “Am I unredeemable?" A thousand generations past, present, future have been asking that.
With his genealogy, Matthew shouts a resounding YES! God's grace sees, touches, incorporates, includes the lives of some of the most unseemly, seemingly unredeemable people, in all the Old Testament! No mess is too big for grace.
Now there is yet another herculean truth buried in Matthew's genealogy—one I didn't press on Christmas Eve. With the exception of Mary, all the women in Matthew's genealogy are foreigners. The question hanging over the Christmas story, isn't just whether a person with a sordid story might be redeemable… but whether there is hope for the nations—all the people of earth? Is there hope for the foreigners of Israel's history, for the aliens of God's history, for outsiders, for Gentiles, for the countless tongues, tribes, non-Jewish ethnicities of the world? People who have been hostile to God, perhaps even for generations?
In starting his genealogy with Abraham, it might appear that Matthew is presenting a Jesus who is just for the Jewish people… the Jewish nation… the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jewish superheroes like King David. But no, Matthew brilliantly reminds us that JESUS IS FOR EVERYONE—for all who might believe, who might call upon his name, who might FEAR HIM.
Now in Luke's gospel, he does us one better. He takes the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam, long before the days of Noah, long before the days of Babel—when God scattered all the nations and confused their languages. Luke takes his genealogy back to creation. He wants us to know that Jesus isn't just the Messiah, King, and Christ of the Jews but of ALL CREATION, of ALL CREATURES, of ALL NATIONS!
Let me frame this another way. Through and through, the Christmas Story doesn’t just have us looking “up” for hope to dawn, “back” into Jewish history, “into” the face of Jesus, and “forward” toward Christ's coming Kingdom & reign. . . The Christmas story has us quite profoundly “LOOKING OUTWARD.” Christ has been born that “whosoever believe" might have eternal life. The nations haven't been excluded, but included in this Hope of ours! God's grace and favor isn't just on Jewish generations but the generations stemming all the way back to Adam. Jesus is for everyone, everywhere, in all creation.
In 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Apostle Paul says, “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
Friends, as we look outward from Christmas, as we look to 2025, God has so much unfinished business to do. In light of Jesus' coming, his mission, his death for our sin, his burial in death, his resurrection from the grave, his ascension to the right hand of God to reign in glory… In light of God's faithfulness to thousands of generations… his love for the scandalized… his love for nations… would you consider making God's business your business?
As 2025 arrives, I believe Lakeside is at a critical crossroad. I've made this observation that there are only two kinds of churches that exist. There are the churches that are taking up God's Unfinished Business, and growing, and flourishing… and those that are dying a slow death. This is also true of believers. There are those who are taking up God's business, growing and flourishing… and those dying a slow death, remaining unfruitful. The former God blesses, the later God's cuts off and discards.
As we come to beginning of 2025 let me challenge you to grow, to flourish. Can we become a Church, can we become a people with an eye outward, toward our city, toward those who've yet to believe. Can you be a bridge? Can you invite people to hear God's word, to worship alongside you? Can you show care for people outside your immediate family circle? Can you begin having conversations with people far from God, and really listen? Can you pray, can you be more connective, can you be more inclusive, hospitable, attentive, loving this 2025? Can you stop coming to church with a consumer mindset? Can you stop playing Siskel and Ebert, or Simon Cowell, giving a thumbs up or down based on what you like or dislike? Can you seek first to please God? Can you roll up your sleeves and make an effort to worship God one service, and serve God during the other service?
I'm very serious about Lakeside being at a Crossroad. We are the size of Church big enough that you can exist at the fringes. But are small enough that we always end up a little short staffing and doing the big things God calls us to do. We need huge help in tech—not just for what happens in this room—but to help broadcast what's taught OUTWARD! We need huge help in early childhood, elementary, JH, SH ministries. We refuse to let the gospel baton fall to the ground—we want to pass it along to future generations as it has to us. Last Sunday we announced a project to renovate our children's wing. If looking OUTWARD is more than a nice Christmas sermon, but is a deepening conviction you hold, would you dig deep and give to Vision fund. We need to raise about 275k. As of last night, we've received 50k already! Let’s slam dunk this.
If you've been feeling stagnant spiritually, would you take up a New Testament Reading Plan—were going to be reading the New Testament alongside our Acts series. As the gospel moves from Jerusalem outward were going to read along seeing God taking up business with people group after people group, city after city.
If you've been feeling stagnant, would you get into a group. We’ve got groups, classes, men and women gatherings, student connection, elementary and early childhood connections. Some of these groups are going to be doing the Study Guide questions, and doing the New Testament Reading Plan, weekly.
As 2025 comes along, we're looking for people serious about deepening their discipleship and leadership and disciple-making capacity. If you'd like to be equipped to make deeper impact as a Christ, we are actively recruiting people for a discipleship track. . . and also a leadership track. I am going to be leading a discipleship track… and I've asked my father-in-law, Don, to help with a leadership track.
If this message has convicted you… would you turn to the person next to you and say, “I'm making God's unfinished business my business in 2025”