On Christmas morning, Bronx Bethany's Magnification team presented a cantata that incorporated congregational hymn singing, Scripture reading, and choral pieces. At the end of that presentation, Pastor Sam spoke for a few minutes. Below are some of the notes I took during his homily.
Thirsty in an Abundance of Water; Lonely in a Crowd; Sad in the Midst of Joy.
- whereas the joy of Christ has invaded our space with angelic messengers, it is a joy that some people have not experienced even though they are right in the middle of it... but this Christmas can be a time where that all changes.
- it's not a show or an experiment: God has truly come to save us and to give us second birth. What is the word of John the Baptist? Nobody can stop God (see John 1:19-23).
- there is the possibility of joy:
joy in the midst of suffering and tribulation (First John 1:4)
joy in the midst of imprisonment (Acts 16:25)
joy that results from fellowship with Christ- but this joy can only come to us if we are walking in the light as He is in the light (First John 1:7).
- this Christmas can be different if we turn from our sins and turn to Jesus:
Jesus gave Himself to us
Jesus gave Himself for us
Pastor Sam said, "I don't just want joy to the world, I want joy to me..."- and it's a relevant quote for us to reflect on. If true joy is only found in the Christ, in the coming of Christ into our world and into our hearts, then we can receive "joy to me" only as we stand in His presence. And who can stand? "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false" (Psalm 24:4).
Jesus is present. Let's seek His forgiveness and His cleansing, so that we can experience His joy.
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