Savior Unimpressed

Savior Unimpressed:

photo credit to www.holyobserver.com

Our culture’s attitude toward Christmas has become that of superficial experience. Our neighborhoods are now riddled with Christmas decorations that range from Minions to Toy Story characters. Apparently Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are in short supply due to waning demand. Yet, come Christmas Eve sanctuaries and worship centers across America will be packed to overflowing with “semi-annual worshipers” who come for the sake of tradition and/or experience. Tragically, few ever get any closer to an authentic relationship with Immanuel, God with us.

Part of the tragedy is that many church leaders simply cater to the Lost Sheep with flowery sermons rather than challenging ones, with popular secular songs and goofy skits rather than rich hymns of praise or powerful teaching, and sadly accept - even praise - this trend of hollow and pointless attendance as commendable for having made an effort saying, “Well, at least they came.” Is coming the point? Is being 'touched' by a sermon the goal - or is it transformation via regeneration by grace through faith?

Contrastingly, Jesus never commended, lauded, or praised anyone for their superficial personal efforts at feigning authentic worship or discipleship. In fact He did quite the contrary.

In Luke 9:57 we read, “a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’” Jesus was clearly unimpressed and the man was easily discouraged. This was not limited to a few random individuals.

In John 2 Jesus had DROVES of people ready to crown Him as king! In 2:23-25 we read “many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing.” This was the perfect opportunity for Jesus to pass out “Jesus for Class President” T-shirts and launch His political campaign juggernaut. Instead we read, “Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all… and because… (He) knew what was in the human race.”

Similarly in John 6 we read about Jesus feeding a crowd of about 5,000 men (v.10). After Jesus fed them they were convinced that He was “the Prophet who was to come into the world!” This was a fine opportunity for Jesus to welcome them with warm-fuzzies for their attendance and recognition, but instead Jesus knew exactly what it would take to repel them - the simple truth.

These people wanted a political/military leader who would organize the Israelites against Rome and lead them to a crushing military defeat of the occupying Roman army. These people were looking for another King Saul - someone who “looked the part” and who would make them a powerful nation. But they were NOT looking to surrender their sinful hearts and personal independence to the authority of Jesus, the Almighty Sovereign of the universe.

Jesus probed their hearts and stated, “Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life…” So in John 6:66 we read, “From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.”

DROVES of people were, and still are, looking for a puppet king, a straw man, a token leader - and Jesus, God, will have none of it! You will either come to Him on your repentant face with heart & life fully surrendered - or He will turn you away. Jesus is no token king, paper ruler, or puppet deity.

Will Christmas be different for you this year? Will you round up the family and scurry off to “church” to soak up another personal experience to put in the scrapbook of a life that is eroding, decaying, and blissfully drifting into the fires of eternal torment? Will the LORDship of Jesus conveniently fit in somewhere between the eggnog and Dollar Store stocking stuffers -OR- will this year be different? Will you approach God Almighty with less conviction and enduring interest than your career, your lawn, or your next Starbucks order?

I pray that you find no hollow words of “comfort and joy” from a superficial homily or sermon this year, but rather that the Spirit of God penetrates your heart of stone and confronts you with the reality of Jesus’ essential incarnation for YOUR redemption - for YOUR rebellion - as payment for YOUR sin - as His perfect sacrifice in YOUR place.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:34, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” He came to cut out the cancer of humanity - the sinfulness of personal autonomy and independence from God.

So if you decide to attend a Christmas worship service this year - know that Jesus is not impressed with a superficial attitude of reverence that feebly and crudely veils the wretchedness of selfish experience or motivation. Jesus is God and never entrusted Himself to humanity for our synthetic religious ceremonies because He knows what is in us - SIN. There will be no buttons given out at the ‘pearly gates’ for attendance.

It’s true that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that the wages of sin is death. Thankfully, the Father draws us, the Son saves us, and the Holy Spirit seals us until “that day.”

If your motivation for attending a Christmas service this year is to praise, worship, and serve our LORD who has gifted us with faith through amazing grace… then you truly understand the magnitude of His incarnation, and thus the meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

-Kevin