Turning Upside-Down Christianity Rightside Up - Christmas Matthew 2:2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." Consider your personal testimony, your home, your Christmas activities and those of your church. Will it clearly answer the unspoken question as articulated by the Magi--“Where’s Jesus?” I am riding in the car running errands. It is the first week of December. I turn to our local “Christian” radio station and Mariah Carey is belting out a sensual secular holiday rock hit. Then I turn to the soft rock station and Point of Grace are singing one of my favorite Christmas carols--“O Come All Ye Faithful,” a doctrinally deep and reverent worship hymn. Things are truly upside-down spiritually when the Christian station is playing secular songs sung by decadent rock stars and I have to turn to a secular station to hear a worship hymn. I am looking at Christmas ads and events. There are a number of large, conservative evangelical churches in my city. I know for a fact that they believe the Bible, they believe in the literal Incarnation of Christ, the Virgin Birth, the Holy Trinity, the historical accuracy of the Scriptural revelation of the events leading up to the birth of Christ. They believe in the prophecies, in the historical Jesus as the second member of the Holy Trinity – in every way they embrace Scriptural truth. Yet, as I look at their ads, I think, “Where is Jesus?” I see Santa Claus, I see snow trucked in for the children, I see Santa’s Village, I see everything you might expect at a city holiday festival but I do not see the word “Jesus.” I do not see a depiction of the birth of Christ, I do not see Holy Scripture. They invite people to a festival of family fun. Then, in the same flyer, I see ads from several denominations who, long ago, grew cold toward the gospel. They do not believe the Bible, they do not believe the prophecies, they do not believe in the miracles surrounding the birth of Christ, nor do they hold to a literal, historical Jesus as a second member of the trinity as revealed in Holy Scripture. Yet their advertisements contain Scripture, they contain depictions of the birth of Christ from Scripture, they extend an invitation to worship and they will use the great doctrinal hymns passed down through the ages in the service. They invite attendees to a sober spiritual encounter. Those who believe pass over holy Scripture and embrace an almost secular approach to Christmas. Those who don’t believe embrace a sober, Christ-centered Christmas-- how did this come about? This is truly upside down. I am looking at Facebook where people are upset that non-Christians are not saying “Merry Christmas” and where merchants are not preserving the message of Christmas, when the church is offering a “Happy Holiday.” This is truly upside-down. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, from one of the largest satanic cults in the world, is selling millions of CDs of the great Christmas worship carols and hymns. Meanwhile, Christian music artists freely mix the profane with the holy in their CDs and TV specials, while many evangelical churches will grudgingly sing a Christmas hymn, while others have yet to sing a single Christmas carol. Pagans sell worship albums while Christians mix the profane with the secular and call it CHRISTmas music – this is an upside down Christmas I am looking at the bulletin board in the local coffee shop. The Unitarian Universalist Church is doing an inter-faith performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” They do this every year in Houston and all are invited to participate or to listen. Meanwhile, a large evangelical church choir is performing “Holiday Favorites.” Pagans are performing Christian music (Handel’s “Messiah” not only exalts the birth of Christ but also His death, burial and resurrection) and churches are performing pagan music (Irving Berlin specifically wrote these “holiday favorites” so that he could provide holiday music that did not mention Jesus.) This is truly an upside-down Christmas. God the Holy Spirit warns us in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.” We do not have to “trick” people into hearing the Gospel. When Jesus is lifted up He will draw men to Him. God the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the clear message of the Gospel will attract, convict and then save the lost and perishing. We have but to remain true to our calling as disciples of Jesus. There is no need to panic or to hide the glorious message of Christ God the Holy Spirit’s application is then found in verse five… “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.” We do not need to find creative ways to insert Jesus into Christmas. In fact, just the opposite is true. We have the mandate from God the Holy Spirit to put Jesus first. When talking to us personally, when in our home, when attending our church, no one should ever ask, “Where’s Jesus?” – Here are a few applications to keep Christ in Christmas… How to Turn an Upside-Down Christmas Right-Side Up 1. Say it out loud - “Merry Christmas and God bless you!” If Tiny Tim can say it, so can you. It is not Walmart, Starbucks or the city government’s job to persevere the message of Christmas. That is the domain of the Church and of every Christian on the face of the earth. Whenever I am shopping, I always wish the merchant “Merry Christmas and God bless you this day.” It is not unusual for the reply to be, “Thank you, I really need God’s blessing (or help.)” My response is to ask why and then to offer to pray then and there for the person. Rarely is this prayer refused and so I take their hand and pray for them. Then I will go out to the car and get a New Testament to give to them. (You can buy $1.00 New Testaments at Lifeway Christian Bookstore or order them on their website.) 2. Destiny box – Your house, your dorm room, your apartment should be known as “the Christian one.” I keep a wicker basket with candy canes and the story of the candy cane by the front door. Next to this basket is a bottle of water. Beneath are copies of the New Testament and Lee Strobel’s Case for Christmas and CRU’s Four Spiritual Laws. Everyone who comes to my door gets one of each. 3. Evangelistic Christmas party – We invite our neighbors to celebrate Jesus. We don’t invite them to a cookie party and then trap them with the gospel. We are going to present the gospel and we put that right up front in the invitation. If you give a Christmas party or celebration, then you are free to make it about Christ. You can do all the other things – party games, cookies, etc., but make sure you make it about Jesus. We present the gospel (El has a great talk where she shares special memories from Christmas ornaments and then shares the gospel using them.) I give an abridged version of the Christmas trivia test and then share the gospel. Other times we will share “Our favorite Christmas memory” and, as part of this, El and I will share the wonderful experience of our first Christmas as a Christian. 4. Evangelistic Christmas caroling – We have our Sunday School, home group or Bible study over for a Christmas party. One of the things we do is go out in our neighborhood to sing the classic Christmas hymns, all of which contain the gospel. At each home we will leave a candy cane with the story attached and a book or tract. 5. Evangelistic Christmas meals – Now is the time to invite that co-worker, neighbor or family member over for dinner. As part of the dinner read the Christmas revelation from Holy Scripture and share the gospel. (We always say, “It is our tradition to read a passage from Scripture and then hold hands and pray at the evening meal. We hope you will not find this embarrassing.” If this is not your tradition, now is the time to start.) Hand out the Four Spiritual Laws and take turns around the table reading a page out loud. Send them home with the candy cane and story, New Testament with a Four Laws inside and Case for Christmas. 6. Evangelistic Christmas gifts to the merchants you frequent. We tend to frequent the same merchants throughout the year. During this time, we try to get to know the owner, manager and workers. At Christmas, we bring a small Christmas bag. Inside will be the candy cane with its story, Lee Strobel’s Case for Christmas, a New Testament, a Four Laws and perhaps some Christmas cookies or candy. Same with the mailman. For the garbage men, hair dresser or anyone else who performs a service for us, we also include a nice tip. 7. Evangelistic Christmas blessings to military and first responders – We take the same gifts by to the local fire station, police station and military recruiting station. Then we will gather them around and pray for their safety. They are especially moved by Eleanor’s prayers. 8. Evangelistic Church Programs -Board member Dan McCollum belongs to West Conroe Baptist Church in a large metroplex. Every Christmas they put on a drive-through “Bethlehem Village.” It is centered on the Word of God, beginning with prophecy about the birth of Christ. It takes you step-by-step through the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. Scripture is quoted, depicted and handed out. There is a clear invitation to repent and receive Christ. No Santa Claus, no giant pile of snow trucked in, no Santa Village, no silliness. And every year thousands see this depiction and many repent and come to Christ. I am reminded of the admonition of God the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.” All the sets, the choirs and the actors are church members. They are not worried about their market share, they are not ashamed of the Gospel, they are not willing to compromise through deception and they embrace their inability to do this ministry in the flesh and, instead, lift up Jesus through the Word of God. The result is that a mid-size church sees scores upon scores of adult men and women come to Christ in the month of December. 9. Christmas programs for the church membership that center not upon children, not upon culture but, instead, upon Jesus – The Christmas Revelation is not a children’s story. It contains the great doctrines of salvation – Holy Scripture, The Holy Trinity, Incarnation, Imputation, Redemption, Salvation. The Christmas Revelation should not be reduced to a petty zoo/pajama party, where apocryphal myths and traditions are perpetuated. Rather, it is a time to bring these great doctrines to the forefront of the church as the church is built up in sound doctrine, as commanded by God the Holy Spirit in Titus 2:1 “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine .” It is my prayer, when someone asks “Where’s Jesus?” this Christmas they will be pointed to your office desk, your dorm room or apartment, your home and your church. By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon / Grace Community Int. – Preparing to depart for Russia January 17th
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