2015 Candlelight Service

Now, I want to ask everybody a question by show of hands. How many of you have seen the big new movie? It came out last week. It's full of special effects. Everybody is talking about it. Obviously, I am talking about Alvin and the Chipmunks. How many of you have seen that? No. I'm talking about Star Wars. Who's seen Star Wars? Awesome. Now, how many of you have not seen Star Wars? Now, I won't ruin the movie for you. I won't tell you the big spoiler, but Jar Jar Binks as a Sith did not see that coming.

No. Everybody is talking about this movie. And I love the way one church worked Star Wars into its Christmas sign. Look at this. A long time ago in a Galilee far, far away. I love that. Well, tonight we do want to talk about what happened a long time ago. And since we are family, we've got little kids with us, even babies. And by the way, it is a Christmas Eve service. And so if you hear a baby crying and you ask yourself, that stupid baby crying, just relax, man. We are celebrating a baby's birth here tonight. OK? Just go, that was the soundtrack to the first Christmas. OK? And if you hear cows mooing, lambs bawing, same thing. It's just the soundtrack to the first Christmas.

But I want to talk about what happened a long time ago by reading you a story. It's one of my favorite Christmas stories. It's called The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. How many of you have ever heard that story, The Crippled Lamb? Well, you are in for a treat. And it starts like this. Are you ready? Here we go.

Once upon a time in a sunny valley, there lived a little lamb with black spots, black feet, and sad eyes. Joshua felt sad when he saw the other lambs with snow white wool and no spots. He felt sad when he saw the other sheep with their moms and dads, because he didn't have a mom and a dad. But he felt saddest when he saw the other lambs running and jumping, because he couldn't. Josh was born with one leg that didn't work right. So Josh felt all alone, except when Abigail was around. She was Josh's best friend. Now, she didn't look like a friend for a lamb. She was an old cow. But some of Josh's favorite hours were spent with Abigail.

At night, Josh liked to listen to Abigail tell stories about the stars. And Abigail would always say, don't be sad, little Joshua. God has a special place for those who feel left out. Joshua wanted to believe her, but it was hard. Some days, he just felt alone. Like he really felt alone the day the shepherds decided to take the lambs to the next valley where there was more grass. As they prepared to leave, Joshua hobbled over to take his place on the edge of the group. But the others started laughing at him. You're too slow to go all the way to the next valley. Go back, slowpoke. Go back, Joshua.

That's when Joshua looked up and saw the shepherd standing there in front of him. They are right, little Joshua. You better go back. This trip is too long for you. Go back and spend the night in the stable. Joshua looked at the man for a long time. And then he turned slowly and began limping away. Never before had he felt so left out. Then he heard Abigail behind him. And Abigail said what she always said when Josh felt sad. Don't be sad, little Joshua. God has a special place for those who feel left out. Slowly, the two friends turned and walked to the stable together.

By the time they got to the little barn, the sun was already setting. They went inside and began to eat hay out of their feed box. But Josh was tired. So he laid down in the corner on some straw and closed his eyes. And in his sleep, he dreamed. He dreamed of running and jumping like the other sheep. He dreamed of being in a place where he never felt left out. And then suddenly, strange noises woke him up. Abigail, wake up, he whispered. Somebody is in here. And there, lying on some fresh hay in their feed box, was a baby. A young woman was resting nearby.

Joshua limped across the stable. He stopped next to the mother and looked into the baby's face. The baby was crying. He was cold. The woman picked up the baby and put him on the hay next to her. Josh looked around the stable for something to keep the baby warm. And then Josh remembered his own soft, warm wool. And very timidly, he walked over and curled up close to the baby. Thank you, little lamb, the baby's mother said softly. Soon, the little child stopped crying and went back to sleep.

About that time, a man entered the stable carrying some rags. I'm sorry, Mary, he explained. This is all the cover I could find. It's OK, she answered. This little lamb has kept the king warm. The king. Joshua looked at the baby and wondered who he might be. As if she knew his question, the young woman said. His name is Jesus, God's son. Just then, there was another noise at the door. It was shepherds, the very ones who had left Joshua behind. Their eyes were big and they were excited. We saw a bright light. We heard angels, they began. And then they saw Joshua next to the baby.

Joshua, do you know who this baby is? He does now. It was the young mother who was speaking again. She looked at Joshua and smiled. God has heard your prayers, little lamb. This little baby is the answer. Joshua looked down at the baby and somehow, somehow, he knew this was a special child and a special moment. And he also understood something else. Had he been just like the other lambs, well, he would have been in the next valley that night. But since he was different, he was in the stable among the very first to welcome the baby Jesus into the world.

Joshua turned and walked back to Abigail. You were right, he told her. God does have a special place for me. You know why I love this story? Because Jesus really was born for all the little lambs who feel left out, lost, and alone. Think about it. That is why, as you heard Tiana read, the angels told about the baby Jesus being born first, not to a king and not to a prince, not to a very important person, but to the shepherds. The Bible says this in Luke 2:8. The verse is on the screen. Let's all read it together. Let me hear you. "That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep."

You know, these days, we think of shepherds as being nice and clean and tidy. But in those days, people thought of shepherds as dirty. They looked down on them. Shepherds were the people that all the other people made fun of, just like all the other lambs made fun of Joshua. In fact, shepherds weren't even allowed to go up to the temple in Jerusalem to worship God. But it was to those people that God appeared and said, I have great news that will be for all the people. Today, unto you, a Savior is born.

Now, why did the shepherds and the whole world need a Savior? Well, there's another way that we are all like Joshua, all like little lambs. The Bible says we're all like sheep that have gone astray. And so God came down to us as the Good Shepherd. That's what Jesus called himself. And he said the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his lost sheep. He came down to give his life as a human being to rescue us. Once I believe that good news, then everything changes about life.

And let me give you just one example. I'll tell you one more story before we light our candles. There was a man a long time ago named George Frederick Handel. He was a very successful musician and orchestra conductor. But then one day, as he was lifting his right hand, George Handel had what doctors call a stroke. And this happened to his right arm. It fell down limp, and he was never able to use it again. He was right-handed. So if you're a right-handed musician and a right-handed conductor, that means you're out of work. What's worse, he owed more money than he had. What's worse, he had a business that failed. And what's even worse, he immediately went into a big, deep, dark depression.

He went into his room, locked the doors, and he would not come out. For days on end, he wouldn't even eat. He thought his life was finished. He felt like Joshua, the crippled lamb. But then a friend of his showed him some verses from the Bible that talked about how Jesus came into the world to save us. And George was so inspired that he started to write music about those verses. And I want to show you his very favorite verse of all. It's this verse, I believe, where George actually became a follower of Jesus Christ, the Christ of Christmas. It's a verse from Isaiah 40 in the Bible.

Now, I talked to you about Star Wars earlier. And this chapter of the Bible kind of starts like a Star Wars movie because it starts in outer space. And it says, God is even bigger than the whole universe. And it has verses like this. All the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket to him. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. He spreads out the heavens like the curtain in your bedroom. But then it says, this great God didn't just stay a force. It says, he will tend his flock like a what? Like a shepherd. And he will gather the lambs in his arms. He will carry them in his bosom. And that means he'll cradle them like this and gently lead those who are with young.

Handel was so impressed with these verses. The great and mighty God who created the universe, he'd always believed in that amazing God. But then to also believe that that God cared so much about him that he would come down to earth to tenderly carry his little lambs. In just a moment, my friend Heather is going to sing the very song that Handel wrote based on the verse I just read to you. Handel wrote that because he felt like Joshua in that little book. And maybe you feel like that too.

And the good news of Christmas is simple. The great God of the universe is the good shepherd who laid down his life for you and longs to love you like a shepherd loves a little lost and lonely lamb. Now, in case you're thinking, that kind of love sounds really good, but how do I get it? Well, Handel put a little verse at the end of his song. And it's a verse from Matthew where Jesus says, here's how to get this kind of love. Just come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I'll give you rest. He says, for I'm humble and gentle at heart, and you'll find rest for your souls. Doesn't rest sound good, especially after a busy Christmas? But this is deep soul rest.

So I want to invite you to do something that I think will make this special Christmas even more special for you. We are going to light our candles in just a minute. And here's what I want you to do. Heather's going to sing the song that Handel wrote. And as our candles are lit, I want you to thank God that he came as the good shepherd and that he wants to carry you as a lamb. And then I want to invite you to pray a little Christmas prayer. Say, God, I come to you as your little lamb, and you are my shepherd. I will follow you.

Now, it doesn't matter if you're six years old or 86. You can still come to God as a little lamb and let the light that came into the world at Christmas come into your life. Maybe you remember praying a prayer like that long ago. Maybe you've never prayed a prayer like that. Here's a great time to reaffirm or affirm for the very first time that you want the Christ of Christmas in your heart. Let's pray a Christmas prayer together. Would you bow your heads with me?

Lord, thank you that though you are much greater than the whole universe, you're the Lord of the whole universe. You came down to this planet, to me, to seek out your lost and lonely lambs. Thank you that ultimately Jesus became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world, including my sin on the cross. Sometimes I feel lost and alone like a little lamb. Thank you that you embrace me. I pray that all across this room tonight, people would say, I receive your light into my life. In Jesus' name, amen.

As we light our candles, please be cautious with the flame, of course, especially if you have a child with you. Make sure you supervise them. And let's thank him that he came to gently lead his flock. And then when Heather finishes her song, Trent's going to lead us just seamlessly into my favorite carol, Silent Night. So let's light our candles together now.