Yardley United Methodist Church
Dec 21 - Holy Night - Love Came, We Go
  • O Come O Come Emmanuel
  • Love Divine All Loves Excelling
  • Here I Am To Worship

      • Luke 2:15–20NRSVUE

  • The Chosen - Holy Night – He Came, We Go

    Key Passages: Luke 2:8-18 & Acts 1:1–11
    Introduction
    The word “advent” means “coming”. The season of Advent is a time to reflect on the coming of Jesus, who initiated a great turning for the world toward hope, peace, joy, and love. We have been exploring these themes using words and phrases from the angelic messages of the Christmas story. Today, we explore the theme: love.

    The coming of Jesus brings a turning toward love.

    While we could focus on God’s vertical love for us, we will shift to love in a horizontal sense—the love we are to have for others. Specifically, we will look at how we can show love to others by sharing the good news of who Jesus is.
    Introduction to Scene #1 from "Holy Night":
    Throughout this series, we’ve been watching scenes from The Chosen’s Christmas episode, “Holy Night”. The scene we are about to show is a variation of a moment we’ve seen before.
    The angels’ visit has come and gone, and the shepherds are rushing to Bethlehem to see the child who’s been born. They’re rushing to Bethlehem, and then? They rush off. Let’s watch...
    Show Scene #1 from “Holy Night”: Shepherd Says People Must Know.
    Transition:
    “We’ve seen the moment and we heard the account in Luke 2:8-18...”: “One minute the shepherds are rushing to Bethlehem, and then? They’re rushing off — off into different corners of the town of Bethlehem, off to the townspeople who haven’t had a chance to hear the good news”.
    Section One

    He came; they went.

    In many ways, these shepherds are the first evangelists of the Bible. Long before the Twelve apostles, this small circle of lowly shepherds told people about Jesus, explaining that his coming provided a great reason for a turning toward hope, peace, and joy.
    They were prepared for this work because the angels’ message would cause great joy "for all the people". Referring to "Messiah" would have also prepared them for going, as they surely knew the Messiah would come to rescue all mankind, not just a select few.
    It is fitting that the shepherds were the first evangelists because their very nature was to provide care.
    They know how to guide and protect others, and their hearts long to pull the hurting from thickets.
    As disciples, they were turned into "shepherds of men". The shepherds encapsulated what it meant to love when they insisted: “People must know. People must know”.
    Extended Transition Statement to Section Two:
    The pattern of  Christ’s ‘coming inspires going’ is found throughout the New Testament. Luke’s Gospel, followed by the Book of Acts (which records the evangelistic efforts of the Early Church), demonstrates this pattern consistently: ‘he came; they went’.
    If this pattern was set at the start, middle, and end of the Gospel story and embraced by the Early Church, then it is a pattern to be embraced by us.

    We must ask ourselves, "Is the Church still going?"

     While there is wonderful missional work happening globally, there has been a decline in personal evangelism, and sometimes an increasing belief that it is wrong to do so.
    There are also many examples of many spreading bad faith, and alternative kinds of news that has turned many people away from Christ and authentic, enduring love. However, the only affective counter to this is to example Christ’s self-giving love in all our words and actions.
    Yet, the Word of God and example of the early church remain: He came; we go. This "going" encompasses two areas: going to the ones nearest us and going to the ones at the ends of the earth.
    Section Two

    He came; we go to the ones nearest us.

    The shepherds started their evangelistic work with the townspeople of Bethlehem—the people who were right there on that Holy Night.
    The New Testament often follows this pattern, as Jesus first sent his disciples to Israel and nearby towns. Luke records this pattern in Acts 1:8, where the disciples started in Jerusalem, then went to the nearest areas: Judea and Samaria. This is reinforced by remembering Christ’s command to “love your neighbor,” where “neighbor” means ‘the one nearest you’. Naturally, when we go in love, we go first to the one nearest to us.
    Transition Statement to Section Three:

    He came; we go to those at the ends of the earth.

    Section Three
    Although the pattern often begins near, it grows expansively. Jesus pushed outward into Gentile regions and commissioned his followers to go to "all nations". - Matthew 28:19-20
    Acts 1:8 speaks of work spreading from Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to the “very ends of the earth”.
    The call to go to the very ends of the earth with the news of hope, peace, joy, and love is why the church supports extended regional & global missions, through prayer, giving, and sending willing people.
    Transition Statement to Conclusion:
    He came; we go. He came; we go. He came; we go.

    Love Came; We Go.

    Conclusion
    When we leave the worship service today, having been redeemed by our Savior with love, the goal is to welcome others into this love, as the shepherds did that morning.
    Show Scene #2 from “Holy Night”: Shepherds Tell Everyone.

      • Matthew 28:17–20NRSVUE

      • Acts 1:6–8NRSVUE

  • I Love You Lord
  • Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow
  • Love Came Down At Christmas
Yardley United Methodist Church
office@yardleyumc.org
(215) 493-3345
https://www.yardleyumc.org
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