When we ask the question, “What is God like?” the Bible doesn’t leave us guessing. In the ancient flood stories, the gods destroy humanity to protect themselves. But in the story of Scripture, God gives Himself to save humanity.
In Noah’s story, the sacrifice of one man moves the heart of God to preserve the world. In Jesus, we are shown what God has always been like. He is the kind of God who steps into the chaos we’ve created and offers His life for our own…
This is what God is like: He is slow to anger, abounding in love, rich in mercy, faithful to His creation, and willing to absorb the cost of our evil rather than abandon us to it.
This is how the world ought to know us… Not as ardent supporters of earthly powers, be they cultural or political, but blameless people who walk in close fellowship with God… Earthly powers tend to eventually turn and consume us when their appetite for power, influence, or wealth grows… God never does.
A divided church proclaims a divided gospel. But a church that is united under Jesus - imperfect, diverse, humble - bears witness to a different kind of Kingdom. Jesus prayed that we would be one, so that the world would know.
We celebrate tonight because on Christmas Jesus was born. He was God With Us! Jesus is the gift that the world had been waiting for. Even though we may not realize it yet, He is the gift that we truly need…
This Christmas, I don’t want you to just believe that God loves you, I want you to experience His loving presence with you, bringing you fullness of life. Invite Him into the anxious moments. The awkward moments. The quiet moments. And watch what happens when love moves close. But we’re not only supposed to be receivers of God’s love, we are meant to be conduits of God’s love, bringing His loving presence to others…
We often associate Christmas with circumstantial happiness – lights, decorations, presents, treats, Hallmark endings… but the Christian celebration of Advent has more to do with joy in the midst of shadows. It’s moving forward in the darkness believing the dawn will break.
We need to remember, peace or shalom is not escape from this messy world. Shalom is a person and a process. It’s repair. It’s like taking a broken plate and instead of throwing it away, fixing it. Making it whole again. It won’t be flawless, but it will be complete.
Pr. 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick...”
The nation of Israel was dealing with generational heartache. And we were not unfamiliar with that… most of us carry a few deferred hopes of our own… But this passage in Proverbs doesn’t end with disappointment, it ends with a promise, “…but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Advent lives between the sickness of deferred hope and the sudden blooming of a promise kept. Between the ache and the arrival. Between the long night and the first glimmer of dawn.
God’s compassion always finds a way forward. In Noah, there was a glimmer of faith that God could work with - one obedient heart that gave God the reason He was looking for to show mercy.
That same compassion runs through every page of Scripture. God keeps choosing mercy over wrath. He keeps searching for the one heart that will respond. Ultimately, He sends us Jesus - who took the chaos of sin upon Himself so that we could find rest, relief, and comfort in Him.
No matter how chaotic or broken life has become for you… God’s compassion still reaches into the mess. He is the God who rescues remnants, restores the repentant, and rebuilds what sin has destroyed.
God’s heart breaks for His creation, but it also still beats with mercy. There is always hope for those who turn back to Him.