Luke 2:1-20 - Why Christmas?

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Amen.

Thank you all.

Y'all like Christmas songs as much as the rest of us?

Oh, good.

Good.

I'm glad.

Thank you for humoring me this morning.

We are going to be looking this morning at a passage that will be very familiar to many

of you.

It's just usually a bit colder outside when you're hearing it read, so I'll have to adjust

a little bit.

It's the classic Christmas story in Luke 2.

I'm glad that it's familiar to us.

It's a great passage.

But one of the dangers of something becoming so familiar, I'm used to hearing it read with

like greenery around and candlelight and presents and so it can be caught up.

It's just part of kind of this experience for me.

I'm such a Christmas guy.

I love the Christmas experience.

And so this passage can be just a little bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling.

That that's a little bit fanciful.

And so I can almost hear it and feel like it's a fairy tale that starts out once upon a

time and I get this nice warm feeling when in fact it starts quite differently.

It starts in those days with some very concrete historical detail.

The life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most widely attested in all of recorded history.

And this is the story of his birth.

As with all of Luke's stories, carefully researched and very detailed in its description.

So I'd encourage you this morning as I read it to think about the impact of God showing

up in the midst of very real, normal people.

What would the impact have been of God showing up in the flesh?

What ought the impact to be for us?

Hear God's word at Luke 2 and verse 1.

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire

Roman world.

This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, to Bethlehem,

the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting

a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her

firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them

in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks

at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and

they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.

He is Christ the Lord.

Lord, this will be a sign to you.

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

And suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God

and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's

go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this

child.

And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen,

which were just as they had been told.

This is God's holy word.

Let's pray and ask for his help as we look at it together.

Father, we thank you for this familiar passage, for the joy of considering the birth of your

son and particularly the chance to consider why he was born.

Father, would you take something very familiar and by your Holy Spirit, speak it to us in a new and fresh way that we hear the old, old story with hearts that are full of a new joy because of what you have done.

Would you speak by your spirit that we might hear and that we might be different forever.

We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

If you've been here for the past few weeks as we've walked through the first chapter of Luke's gospel,

you'll know we've seen the excitement build.

The anticipation is building.

It's like a drum roll or crescendo through the opening stories of angels coming and delivering promises to people

and them responding with songs of joy

and there's increasing excitement.

It all culminates in chapter two.

Christmas, the coming of Christ,

God actually coming into the world in the flesh.

Instead of just one angel,

as we've had multiple times in the first chapter,

we now have a multitude of angels

celebrating and heralding this great event.

Heaven is coming to earth.

God is becoming man.

The creator is entering into his creation.

This is an unparalleled event in all of human history.

It's into a world much like ours,

obsessed with human power and resourcefulness

to people who love to help and improve ourselves.

That God's going to come.

Some people at this time,

under the direction of a ruler, Caesar Augustus,

who says that he's divine.

That he is a son of the gods.

In fact, the savior of the common people,

he's called.

Others, Jews, who felt they were on the true God's side

because of their birth.

Or the religious ceremonies that they participated in.

Who were finding their identity and their security

and religion and ritual.

In that world.

In a world with people who are looking to themselves

one way or the other for help.

God enters in.

He shows up in the flesh,

surprisingly, in some weakness and humility.

Right?

A baby in a manger.

Perhaps an equally surprising message

for both kinds of people in this world.

It's astonishing, really, when you stop to think about it.

God showing up, being born as a baby.

Now, of course, we make a big deal about that

every year at Christmastime.

I'm a sucker for anything Christmas,

anything that looks at all like a manger scene.

I would like to have one of them.

I love all of that.

But I think for whatever reason,

even though we love the season

and we love to celebrate and sing,

we struggle to realize

the impact of this unparalleled event.

We're celebrating, perhaps,

but if the reality of the incarnation

of the Son of God

is something we only get excited about in December,

I think we're missing the point.

We're missing the joy and the excitement

of what is really happening.

So let's ask Luke this morning,

why Christmas?

What's the big deal?

Why did Christmas happen?

The answer will be no more complex

than what I told the kids,

just without candy.

But it's still a really important one

for all of us.

Why Christmas?

Well, first, we all know very well

Jesus is the reason for the season, right?

We're good Christians.

We're aware of that.

If Jesus is the reason for the season,

our sin is the reason for Jesus.

Why Christmas?

Our sin.

The story of Jesus' birth

is going to remind us

that on our own,

we are more lost

and helpless,

hopeless,

than we even realize.

It's going to force us

to take an honest look

at our own hearts

and see if we really understand

our need for Christmas.

The verses that this whole story

centers around

are the announcement

of the angel to the shepherds.

He explains to them

the import of what is happening.

He's told us the facts

up to this point.

There's been a baby born

in a manger in Bethlehem

and then the angel says,

here's what's really going on.

Verse 10,

the angel said,

don't be afraid.

I bring you good news

of great joy

that will be for all the people.

What is it?

What's the news?

Today in the town of David,

a Savior has been born to you.

He is Christ the Lord.

There's good news

of great joy for all people.

This is really at the heart

of the gospel of Luke.

It's what Luke's about.

It's why Luke is so intent

on writing about

all that has happened.

Because there's good news

of great joy for all people

and he wants them to know it.

What is it?

What's the content

of the message?

What's the good news?

The gospel message is simple.

A Savior.

Good news of great joy

for all people.

A Savior.

Today in the city of David,

a Savior born to you.

A Savior comes.

Why?

To bring forgiveness of sins.

To rescue us

from the brokenness

in our hearts

and in our world

as a result of our sin.

So if a Savior

is going to be good news

of great joy,

we must be deeply aware

of the depth

of our sin.

It's the only way

a Savior could be good news.

Let me explain it this way.

If you're scrolling down

the headlines

in your news feed

and trying to decide

if you'll click on

any of these articles

and you come across

a headline that says,

cure discovered

for Irish Dalmatian rhinitis,

you probably won't even

slow down.

That is, by the way,

a disease I made up

this week

where your nose swells

and is covered

with green spots.

Irish Dalmatian rhinitis.

I hope no one suffers from it.

I made one up

to make sure

I didn't offend anybody.

But if you see that headline,

it's not going to cause you

to jump off your sofa

or to scream with excitement.

And the reason is

that not only do you not suffer

from Irish Dalmatian rhinitis,

no one you know

suffers from it.

It's not a big deal to you

that there's a cure for it,

is there?

Imagine if you keep

scrolling down

and you see the headline,

Peace Treaty Signed

Between Azerbaijan

and Turkmenistan.

Peace treaties

like cures for diseases

can be a pretty big deal, right?

I mean, a peace treaty

is certainly an exciting thing,

but you probably

weren't aware

that those two nations

were even hostile

to each other at all.

You certainly didn't

have someone involved

in the war

that you knew.

And so,

you might yawn

and just keep scrolling.

Likely, you wouldn't describe

either of those headlines

as good news of great joy,

would you?

Why?

Because they don't impact

your life.

You haven't been longing

for that news.

You don't have a need

for it in your life.

So here's the deal

with Christmas.

The angel announces

that Christmas

is good news of great joy

for whom?

For all people.

Today in the town of David,

a Savior is born to you,

is to be good news

of great joy

for all people

because all

are desperately

wracked by sin.

This headline

does impact

you and me.

We need

a Savior.

The fact that there

could be peace

between man and God,

verse 14,

is remarkable

because we are all

by nature

His enemies,

not at peace with Him.

We're at war with Him

and we have no way

to make peace.

We must see

this devastating reality

that's true

for all of us.

The Bible is clear

from cover to cover

about this overwhelming

sin problem

that we face.

Isaiah 53

says,

all we

like sheep

have gone astray.

We've turned

every one of us

to His own way

and the Lord

has laid on Him

the iniquity

of us all.

And it's not just

that we've made

a few bad choices

here and there

in our lives.

Psalm 51 says,

it's been a problem

since before we were born.

Behold,

I was brought forth

in iniquity.

In sin did my mother

conceive me.

From our very conception,

we've been in rebellion

against God.

And so,

Romans 3 says,

as a result of that reality,

there's no one

who's righteous

on his own.

Not one.

No one understands.

No one seeks for God.

All have turned aside.

Together become worthless.

No one does good.

Not even one.

That's the problem

where we find ourselves.

It's not just

that we lack righteousness,

that we don't do

enough good things.

Colossians 1 says,

we're actively hostile.

Against God.

Verse 21.

It says,

we are alienated from God

and hostile in our mind,

doing evil deeds.

We're at war with Him.

Paul says in Ephesians,

we're dead in our sins.

By nature,

objects of God's wrath.

He's out to get us

in our sin

because we have

scorned His holy person

and His law.

We're without hope

and without God

in the world.

In other words,

because of what we've done,

we've put ourselves

in a situation with God

where we can't

rescue ourselves.

The story of Scripture

from the very beginning

is a story of our rebellion

against God

who means good towards us.

He creates us in His image

to bless us

and be in relationship

and we push away from that.

We earn judgment

instead of blessing.

We bring ourselves

under a curse

from the Creator

of the world.

And so it's a sinful bent

toward ourselves

and away from God

that breaks our relationship

with Him.

But not only that relationship,

it makes us broken

in the way we relate

to ourselves.

It makes us broken

in the way we relate

to other people.

It makes us broken

in the way we relate

to all of God's

good creation.

Our sin

has devastated

all

of our lives.

We desperately

need

a Savior.

Every single one of us.

A Savior

to rescue us

from the wrath of God

we have called down

on ourselves.

from the brokenness

that's playing out

in all of our lives

because of that sin.

And Christmas

is not good news

of great joy.

It won't make you

sit up and take notice.

It won't radically

transform your life

unless you really need

a Savior.

Because that's

who comes.

A Savior

born to you.

Christ

the Lord.

Now listen,

most of you knew that.

You've heard

messages about Christmas

before.

You know about

the reality

of your sin.

The Bible talks about it

over and over.

But have you embraced it

for yourself?

Has it come home

to what that really means

for you?

I grew up in the church

in a church

that faithfully taught

the truths

of God's Word

and taught about our sin

and our need

for a Savior.

And I lived

in that church

for many years

talking about

the reality

of salvation

through Jesus.

But I spent

many years

in that church

thinking how wonderful

God must be

to save such

terrible,

awful people

like that

out there

somewhere.

They were really

bad people.

Now listen,

theoretically,

of course,

Jesus was my Savior.

We all knew the answers.

This was a good church.

But practically speaking,

I couldn't have told you

much about what I needed

to be saved from.

There were months

and months

that went by

where I didn't

specifically repent

of anything

in particular.

It could go long

seasons of time.

When I did think

of something

that maybe I was

forced to say,

how am I a sinner?

It might have been

something like

taking the last cookie

before my brother

could get to it.

And that was unkind.

And so,

just a series

of a few

unfortunate decisions

here and there.

Not really anything

too bad.

That's oftentimes

how I felt.

See,

I thought,

honestly,

that I was a pretty

good kid.

That's who I was.

I was a pretty

decent person,

a pretty good kid.

Theoretically,

Jesus was my Savior.

But practically speaking,

he functioned

more in my life

as perhaps

what you would call

a mascot.

Someone just so

you could identify

which team I was on,

who I was with.

I was on this team,

not another.

This really good kid,

you wanted to know

whose team he was on.

He was on Jesus' team.

Or at best,

he was my trainer,

perhaps.

Keeping me up to speed

on what it looked like

to be a really good friend

or pastor's kid

or student.

He was keeping me

in shape,

you know?

Because after all,

if you're a pretty good kid,

that's what you need

Jesus for,

is to just help you

keep being pretty good

so that you can be better

than everybody else.

As long as I was really good

at being good,

that's all Jesus needed

to be for me.

Someone who helped me

stay in shape.

Someone who kept me

looking good,

associated me

with the right people.

Be honest with yourself

this morning.

Are you daily,

are you regularly seeing

the ugliness of your sin

and your desperate need

of Jesus

to be your Savior?

Is he perhaps functionally

in your life

just your mascot

so people socially know

which team you're on

and which ones you're not?

Or your teacher

who helps you know

how to succeed in life

or how to raise your kids

on the right path

because that's just really

all you needed

was a couple pointers.

Or your friend

who just always helps you

feel good about yourself

in the hard times of life

because life is hard

and you need someone

to encourage you.

Now listen,

Jesus can be all of those things

in our lives

and it can be beautiful

when he is,

but he is not any of those.

without first being

your Savior.

If he's not functionally

your Savior,

then it's not the true Jesus

who is your friend

or your teacher

or your mascot

because Jesus came

as a Savior

to save you

from your sin

and all its devastating effects

like separating you

from relationship

with your Heavenly Father.

and he came to save you

not just once by the way

but day after day

as you battle

against indwelling

and ongoing sin

in your heart,

he's still your Savior.

That's who he is.

That's his identity

as he's introduced here

at his birth.

He's your Savior.

He doesn't leave you

just hoping you'll win

the battle with sin

on your own.

Have you stopped

letting him rescue you

from sin

even as a Christian?

Has he functionally

stopped being a Savior

in your life?

I've said before

that I appreciate

the warning

of pastor

and author

John MacArthur

in his book

which I haven't read,

The Vanishing Conscience,

Drawing the Line

in a No-Fault,

Guilt-Free World.

In that book he says

even Christians

have lost sight of sin

as the primary human problem.

We tend to gloss over it

and come up with other explanations

for what's going on

and MacArthur says

that's so dangerous

because you remove

the reality of sin

and you take away

the possibility

of repentance.

Abolish the doctrine

of human depravity

and you void

the divine plan

of salvation.

Erase the notion

of personal guilt

and you eliminate

the need

for a Savior.

If there's nothing

at that level

wrong with me

then I don't need

Christmas.

I don't need

the Savior.

It's so easy

for religious people

like me

growing up

in a church

like the Jews

of Luke's day

to think all they need

is to just

be in church some.

Be identified

with the good guys.

to be safe.

Add in a little

religion

and ritual

and I'll be fine.

But friends

we must own

the reality

of our sin

so that the coming

of a Savior

for us

is the good news

of great joy

to our hearts

that God intends

for it to be.

When you hear

a Savior

is born to you

something

and you ought to say

I need that.

Yes!

That's what I'm longing

for.

I need a Savior.

Our self-righteous

rationalizing hearts

so easily

minimize

our sin.

But while that's

a major struggle

for many of us

for others of us

we're not so much

minimizing our sin

we're consumed

by our

sin

aren't we?

The despair

the shame

the hopelessness

that we feel.

Perhaps you're not

overlooking

your sin

this morning.

Perhaps you're

overwhelmed by it.

If that's

where your heart

is this morning

hear the good news.

There's a Savior

for you.

In Jesus

we are

more loved

and secure

than we could

ever imagine.

It is indeed

true that all

people

need a Savior.

It is also

true that

Jesus is

a sufficient

Savior

for all.

Even the

worst

sinner.

God shows us

this so beautifully

in this passage

in this Christmas

story

through the shepherds.

Listen

in Luke's

culture

of all the people

who knew

that they weren't

okay with God

it was shepherds.

The religious

churchy people

reminded them

of this regularly

made sure

that they felt

it

because they

weren't even

in worship

very often.

They weren't

around very much

where the

churchy people

gathered.

The shepherds

because of their

strange work

schedules

because they

were often

having to touch

unclean animals

and dead things

were often

ceremonially

unclean

very uncommon

for them to be

able to come

to worship.

They were usually

absent.

They were

despised

as a class

in the

community.

They were

thought of

as thieves.

So mistrusted

in fact

by others

that they

didn't even

qualify

as legal

witnesses

in courts

of law.

You couldn't

ask for a

shepherd's opinion

it was worthless.

You couldn't

trust him.

And of all

the people

in the world

the ones

God chose

to privilege

as the

recipients

of the

announcement

of a

savior

he chose

the shepherds

perhaps

because he

wanted them

to know

without a doubt

that the

savior was

for them

too.

Notice the

change that

takes place

in the

shepherds

through this

story.

The angel

appears and

when they

see the

glory of

the Lord

verse 9

says they're

what?

Terrified.

Understandably

right?

I mean

they're not

the first

ones to

be shocked

when the

angel

appears to

them.

A bit

fearful.

Even

appropriately

I would

say to

be fearful

before the

glory of

a holy

God.

It's

utterly

appropriate

for sinners

like the

shepherds

and like

us.

And maybe

you feel

that this

morning.

Keep me

away.

God

doesn't want

anything to

do with

me.

If you

only knew

pastor

what's

in my

life,

what's

in my

past,

what's

in my

heart

today,

you would

know

that I

should be

full of

fear

before God.

And what

does the

angel tell

them?

Those

shepherds

who are

perhaps

rightfully

afraid

at the

glory of

God,

he says

do not

be

afraid.

How can

he say

that?

Do not

be afraid.

Why?

Do not

be afraid.

I bring

you good

news of

great joy

that will

be for

all the

people,

including

you.

Today in

the town

of David,

a Savior

has been

born to

you.

He is

Christ

the Lord.

There's

reason for

great joy

for you.

And the

shepherds

experience that.

They go,

don't they,

from being

terrified

to then

running to

Bethlehem and

seeing Jesus.

And then

what happens?

Are they

terrified?

No,

they're

rejoicing

and sharing

the good

news with

everyone.

Perhaps

no one

would believe

them,

shepherds

as they

were.

Interesting

to notice

that God

didn't pick

the most

well-spoken,

the most

well-connected,

the most

well-respected,

the ones

everyone would

believe,

to be the

first to

share the

good news.

But rather

he chose

the most

well-aware

of their

need for

it.

Those who

when they

heard it

and saw

it were

going to

be exploding

with joy.

That's the

message,

that's the

response that

people were

supposed to

have to

a Savior.

Whether

people believed

him or not,

their joy was

going to spill

over.

They couldn't

help but

share it.

Why?

Why were the

shepherds so

joyful?

Because they

knew they

were outcast

from God

and they

had just

been told

they were

welcomed home.

That's what

verse 14

means.

The heavenly

host,

this is the

word for

the armies

of heaven,

declares

not war

but peace.

Verse 14,

glory to God

in the highest

and on earth

peace to

men on whom

his favor

rests.

The shepherds

hear peace

from a

God that

they were

terrified

of.

It's an

announcement

not that

God has

found some

men out

here on

the hillside

who are

of good

will

here on

earth,

who deserve

for God

to make

peace with

them.

That's not

the announcement.

These are

shepherds.

But rather

that God

has declared

peace toward

men currently

hostile and

warring against

him.

My enemies

will be my

friends,

God says.

Those far

from me

will be

brought near.

Those

outcast sons

will be

welcomed

home.

And the

shepherds

hear that

and they

say,

yes please,

that's me.

That's what

I've been

longing for.

I need

that.

Do you

know this

morning that

that is

you?

Do you

rejoice in

the gospel,

the good

news of

great joy

as the

shepherds

did?

Does it

overflow

from you

to many

others?

Because the

joy just

fills up

and you

can't help

but rejoice

and share

the good

news.

I'm no

angel,

but hear it

announced to

you,

discouraged

sinner,

good news

of great

joy.

A savior

has been

born to

you.

Christ

the Lord.

A true

ruler,

the rightful

king on

David's

throne,

the one

who is

truly God,

not an

imposter

king

claiming

divinity.

The true

savior,

not just

of the

common

people,

but of

all

people

has come

to you.

Why

Christmas?

Because

God is

not willing

to leave

you in

your sin,

but is

zealous

for you

to know

his love

and the

security

of being

welcomed

at his

table

forever,

so he

sends

a savior.

That's

how much

he loves

you.

15 years

ago today

on

September

11,

2001,

many

first

responders,

quite a

number of

them from

the New

York City

police and

fire

departments,

went running

toward the

burning and

crumbling

towers of

the World

Trade Center,

intent on

saving as

many lives

as possible.

people.

They

rushed

towards

pain and

chaos

at the

risk even

of their

own lives

for the

sake of

saving

others.

In a

similar way,

but with an

even greater

capacity to

save,

God comes

running toward

us in

Jesus,

rushing into

the chaos

and pain of

this world

and of our

lives,

the burning,

crumbling

ruins of

our hearts,

intent on

saving even

if it costs

him his

life and

he knows

it will.

I love the

comfort in

one little

phrase in

verse 11 that

we've skipped

over thus

far.

It's a great

verse but

there's a great

phrase at the

end.

Today in the

town of

David,

a Savior has

been born

to you.

Why did

that need to

be there?

It was

good news

already.

A Savior

has been

born.

A Savior

has been

born to

you.

The good

news is not

merely that a

Savior has

been born,

but that a

Savior has

been born to

you.

To you who

were previously

unaware of

your need for

a Savior,

didn't see

your sin

that big.

To you who

thought you

were beyond

the help of

a Savior.

To you a

Savior is

born.

Isn't that

amazing?

Isn't Christmas

worth celebrating

even in

September that

He came to

save all those

who trust in

Him?

Oh,

tidings of

comfort and

joy.

It's not just a

Christmas carol,

it's the gospel,

it's the good

news, it's your

only hope that a

Savior has come

to you.

Isn't God's

commitment to

us incredible?

That He would

not only come

to us in a

manger as a

baby, but that

He would announce

it to even the

lowliest among

us because He

didn't want us

to miss it.

That there's a

Savior who's

come for you.

Why Christmas?

Because we

insist on sinning

and because God

insists on saving.

Think about this

as you come to

the table this

morning.

If you were the

only sinner in

the entire world,

it would have

required the

Son of God,

Jesus Himself,

to come and

die for your

sin.

Your sin's so

big, if you were

the only one,

Jesus would have

had to come and

die for you.

And if you were

the only sinner in

the entire world,

God's love for

you is so great

that Jesus would

have come willingly

and died for you.

That's the message

of Christmas.

That Jesus has

come and done

that, has come as

a Savior to you.

Rejoice in that

good hope even as

we come to this

table.

Remember the way

Paul described

Jesus' words to

his disciples.

He says,

I received from

the Lord what I

also delivered to

you, that the

Lord Jesus on the

night he was

betrayed took bread

and when he had

given thanks he

broke it and

said, this is my

body which is for

you.

Do this in

remembrance of me.

In the same way

also he took the

cup after supper

saying, this cup is

the new covenant in

my blood.

Do this as often as

you drink it in

remembrance of me.

For as often as

you eat this bread

and drink the cup

you proclaim the

Lord's death.

Until he comes.

Jesus is coming

again.

He has come to us

already.

That's the good

news of the

gospel.

This table

demonstrates it in

a tangible way.

That he doesn't

remain far off from

you thinking you're

okay on your own

that you don't need

him.

That he doesn't

remain far off from

you thinking you're

too bad and he

couldn't possibly

associate with you.

Instead he fixes

that problem.

He comes, lives

perfectly and

dies in your place

so that you can

eat with him

not just this

morning but forever.

And so we do

today what we look

forward to celebrating

with him forever

that the holy God

would sit across

from the table

with you and me

because he came

and made it

possible.

If you don't know

Jesus, don't come

to this table

which is a picture

of the reality of

our fellowship with

God.

Come to Jesus.

Come and meet him

and know him.

We love to tell

you about him.

But if you know

him, if you trust

Jesus, not even

your worst day,

not even your sin

that you're confessing

right now in this

moment and turning

to him from can keep

you from him.

He has come to you.

Come and rejoice in

what he has done.

Pray with me and we'll

come to the table.

Jesus, thank you

that you're a God

who's drawn near to

us.

That we have a

savior.

Because you came

at Christmas not

just to be born but

then to live and to

die for us.

Thank you for the

reminder we will

hold in our hands

and taste on our

lips this morning.

Might you make

these elements

which are common

in themselves,

would you make

them used for a

sacred purpose in

our hearts?

Would you strengthen

our faith?

Would you remind us

of how much we

needed someone to

die for us?

Of how much we

still today need a

savior?

Would you remind us

that we have one?

Jesus, that gives

us great joy.

Thank you.

Thank you for this

celebration together.

Amen.

For more information,

visit us online at

southwood.org.

Northwood.org.

Have a good week.

I hope to be

CHRIST showcase here.

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