Gateway Church - MO

Everyone loves a compelling story. We especially love to tell a compelling story when we’re one of the characters. There is no story more compelling than the story of what God has done for us through sending Jesus to live, die and rise again. One of the most impactful things you can do for the Kingdom of God, is tell others what Jesus has done for you.

When life is painful or feels out of control, it’s easy to think that we are stranded and alone. That’s how the people of ancient Israel felt as they lived under Roman occupation awaiting God to deliver them. When the birth of Jesus was announced, we are told he would be called Emanuel. Emanuel means ‘God is with us.’ The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus show us that God is with us in every season of life.

When we hear “Away in a manger” we think of a little baby, asleep with his mother and father in a stable. But the lyrics to this carol point out something we often miss about the baby Jesus, something critical. He is the little LORD Jesus. When someone is Lord, that means they are ruler, and it means we are called to surrender and submit to them. As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s take the time to remind ourselves that we must submit to the lordship of Jesus if we are going to know life to the fullest.

‘There’s something about a new day. Things feel fresh. We feel like we have a chance to start over. We feel new. But too often our days quickly descend into frustration, chaos, fear or hurt. Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to overcome our fear and hurt and to give us a new life, a life worth living. This carol reminds us that each new day with Jesus provides exactly what we need to overcome and thrive in his grace.

 ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ may be the most iconic of all the Christmas carols. It’s the one song most of us think of when we think of Christmas songs. But what is it really about? This song is an invitation to come and worship the God who loved us so much that he accepted us just as we are but loved us too much to leave us that way.

Jesus said, “You cannot serve two masters.” Many of us claim we follow Jesus, but we want to maintain allegiance our nation, our party, our tribe, or ourselves. But to follow Jesus means we die to ourselves, surrender fully and serve Jesus without reservation. As much as we may struggle to accept it, following Jesus means submitting to him to the exclusion of all other allegiances.

As Americans, we love our independence. We want to make it on our own. We want the right to choose what’s best for us. And we certainly don’t want to submit to someone else. And for most of us, we exercise our faith with that same level of independence. But the kingdom of Jesus has always been collective in nature. In fact, it’s impossible to fully live out your faith in isolation from others. The kingdom of Jesus is about WE and not just ME.

Empires grow through force. The strong rule and the weak serve. That’s how kingdoms work. But Jesus is a king who turned things upside down. In his kingdom, the humble are lifted up and the greatest serve the least. It’s a kingdom that upsets the established order and changes the world. The kingdom of Jesus is an upside-down kingdom where serving rather than ruling brings transformation.

Typical rulers, regardless of how they came into power, like to wield power and display their strength. That’s how the kingdoms and empires of our world work. And we like to think that if our side can rule, we’ll get things figured out. But time after time our leaders fail because the rule from a position of power. The truth is it doesn’t matter which party is in power. It doesn’t matter who sits in the Whitehouse. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And regardless of who rules, Jesus reigns.  

A little salt can make a bland meal delicious A little bit of light can take the fear out of a dark room. In the same way, when the church grows and multiplies in our world, things change. God’s Kingdom brings light and hope to a world that his dark and hurting. When we grow the Kingdom, we transform the world.