What Will You Do With Jesus?

This past Sunday our children did an awesome job of sharing the message of Christmas through drama and music. It was entertaining while also being insightful and profound. We were reminded that Christmas is a birthday party for Jesus. It really is all about Him!

Perhaps the most compelling part of their presentation is the question asked in one of their songs: What will you do with Jesus? The question demands an answer. It requires us to make a choice. If you understand who Jesus claimed to be, and what He said He came to do, then you cannot be neutral. Jesus came here as Immanuel – God with us! He was the sinless Son of God who gave His life as the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Then Jesus conquered death by rising from the dead! Now He is alive forever! The words of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus ring true, “And He shall reign forever and ever.” Many years ago a truth-seeking intellectual named C.S. Lewis was confronted with the truth about Jesus Christ. He concluded that you cannot be neutral about Jesus Christ. You must either reject Him or follow Him as Lord, but you cannot remain neutral. If you choose to follow Jesus, He will call you to join Him in His mission to the world.

At the heart of the Christmas message is the matter of missions. Jesus came on a mission. Following His resurrection, Jesus told His followers in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” God calls His people to be on mission for Him. We are to pray, give, and go. For the next few weeks we have an opportunity to give to missions. We are receiving our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. This is a joint effort with thousands of Southern Baptist churches across the world. The funds received through this offering are dispersed to missionaries around the globe. The goal for the Lottie Moon Offering for the entire Southern Baptist Convention is $175 million. Our goal as a church is $5,000. Let me encourage you to pray about what God wants you to give. Then just be obedient!

This will be our only newsletter during the month of December. My prayer for you, not only during Christmas but also in the year ahead, is that God will make Himself real to you, that you will be more convinced than ever that He loves you, and that you will not settle for less than His best!

Yours for the Kingdom,
David