what if we had to live with the fairness of unforgiveness and
execution of the Justice we deserve, no gospel delivered to
be witnessed or heard To the people walking in darkness, a
great light, never dawned hopeless.
Only to wander, lonely and lost. No way truth or life through the
Good Shepherd, only the debt and debt, incurred from sin Fletcher
faded to remain chained as slaves to sin.
No one and only son to secure us as God's children.
No wonderful counselor, no Prince of Peace.
Only Allah, we are too weak to keep only a Chasm between our
creator and us a divided. So why'd we stand no chance.
Hands to cross. What if this was the only kind
of life we could live, what have God had withheld.
The very best he had to give Crossing family.
It is so good to be with you. I want to welcome those of you
here and Quincy at our 48th Street campus as well as our 929
campus. To those of you apart of our
Macomb family, Kirksville, family Pike County, Hannibal
Lima, Mount Sterling, Monmouth, and Jacksonville to those of you
who are watching all across this region and around the United
States online. Into those of you who are part
of the crossing inside, I also want to welcome those of you who
are joining us for the first time or the first time in a long
time. Why we are so glad that you are
here and that you're allowing us to be part of your Christmas
celebration. So on behalf of Jennifer and I,
as in our family, as well, as all of those who call The
Crossing home, I want to wish you a merry Christmas.
And I know that many of you are joining us from for your
Christmas Eve services, all across this region.
There are some of you who are incredibly excited to be here.
You got your time slot, you send out your text messages, you
couldn't wait, you fit it into your crazy schedule and you're
happy to be here. But I also know that in a room,
this big all across this region. There are some of you who you
don't want to be here, you got dragged here, maybe you lost a
bet with someone, if you're like, my kids, you're having to
wear an outfit, you didn't plan on wearing and it's not as
comfortable as you thought it would be.
And you're frustrated, I want, you know, we get that.
I also know that there's some of you Who you're trying to
navigate your first Christmas without somebody?
Maybe that's why you're sitting alone.
I mean, there's people around you, but you're sitting alone or
maybe there's people around you and you're feeling alone.
Maybe this year you're having Christmas because of someone's
loss at a different house. You're trying to figure out, are
you going to carry the weight of their Christmas traditions or
you just going to can them and try and start some new ones?
And there are some of you in here that because of recent
Health, Revelations your Pondering the reality that this
might be your last Christmas. You're trying to soak it all in,
you're trying to figure out if there's a way to set everything
that's gone, wrong relationally, right?
And there's some of you. You're just trying to make
people happy. You're just getting pulled in a
thousand different directions. And you're here, just to put a
smile on Grandma's face. That's what you've been told.
Do it for Grandma and I want you to hear me say this.
I'm glad you're here. No matter where you find
yourself, emotionally or relationally, or physically, or
spiritually, I believe that there is a gift for you today.
I believes there's a gift for your past a gift for your
present and ultimately a gift for your future.
Let me explain the video. We just watched ended with a
really powerful question for us to ponder.
More than just being powerful. It's a little scary.
Here's what the question was. What if God had withheld?
The very best he had to give? What would our world look like?
Without the birth of Jesus. The social scientific
educational economic Financial impact alone would be staggering
you see, it was from the Christian Community that the
first colleges and universities were formed Oxford's motto is
the Lord is my light. It was Jesus followers who
started Cambridge in the University of Paris, as well as
Harvard and Yale. In fact, 127 of the first
hundred and thirty eight universities established here in
the United States where stablished in Jesus name.
It was a desire to understand Jesus as creator.
That led to five. Fantastic scientific,
discoveries and advancements. It was Florence Nightingale a
Jesus follower that transformed the occupation of Nursing.
And it was j.j. Thomson in Elder who discovered
the electron and was the inventor of the mass
spectrometer. And I know that doesn't mean
much to almost anybody including myself, but let me tell you why
this is important because that Discovery and that invention
changed forever their studies in chemistry, biochemistry,
Pharmacy and medicine. So if this past week you found
yourself in a pharmacy needing medicine you can trace it back
to that Jesus follower who wanted to understand Jesus as a
Creator, it was Blaise Pascal. Who invented the hydraulic press
in the mechanical, calculator, along with many other things.
It was William Thompson, a Jesus follower who deduced absolute
zero in invented signaling equipment that was used in the
first transatlantic Telegraph. I could go on and on, we could
talk about George Washington, Carver, Carver.
We could talk about Carl Gauss. We can talk about Isaac Newton
and so many more. What about art will Jesus impact
on art is profound as well? Did you know, that musical
notation was an invention of Jesus followers to be able to
give people an opportunity to worship?
Or to sing worship songs to Jesus all across the globe.
It was the languages of Italian and German in English that were
all shaped through. Jesus followers translating the
Bible into their language and then teaching them how to read,
there would be no Narnia. No, Lord of the Rings.
No, Sistine Chapel. No Dante's Divine Comedy.
How about this one this year, Alone?
Christian philanthropy, accounted for 70% of All
American philanthropy? It was Jesus followers that out.
Gave the US government in addressing Global poverty.
Or take the invention of hospitals.
I'm guessing over the last three years, many of you have had to
spend some time in a hospital. Did you know that that was a
uniquely Christian invention. It was an outgrowth of Christian
people trying to live out the words of Jesus to help the down
and out that they started to welcome into their house, the
sick and needy and then they started to give them a place to
go for the sick and needy. And the result became hospitals
as people tried to live out the teachings of Jesus as it
pertained to hospitality. In other words, the answer to
the question is that this world would not be as educated
inspired Advanced or is cared for without Jesus and that
barely scratches the surface because those of us who have our
relationship with Jesus Christ realize that he has done so much
more for us on an individual level.
How do you articulate the beauty of the birth of Jesus in just a
few words? What if you only had 12?
What 12 words would you use to articulate the beauty of Jesus
showing up here on planet Earth? Well, we could do unto us a
child is born unto us a son is given.
That's Isaiah chapter 9, that though he was rich yet for your
sakes. He became poor that second
Corinthians chapter 8. Also 12 words for in him, all
the fullness of deity, dwells in bodily form, Colossians 2:9 you
Is know the answer to this one. John 3:16 God.
So loved the world that he gave his only.
We got to go King James version here for a second begotten son.
What have you had to do it in 11?
Could you deduce the magnitude of Jesus?
Coming to Earth? Just 11 words.
Luke chapter 1 verse 78 says, the Morning Light from Heaven is
about to break Upon Us 10 from his fullness.
We have all received Grace, upon Grace, there's a whole sermon
there. Could you do it?
Nine. Wonderful counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting father Prince of Peace.
Can you do it in eight? Good news of great.
Joy for all people Duke 2:10, seven, a savior who is Christ
the lord six, the image of the invisible.
God 5 full of grace and truth for The word became flesh.
Three God came down to, you have to go to Acts chapter 4, verse
30, holy child. Could, you could you reduce the
magnitude of Jesus coming to Earth down to just one word?
I think you can you Manuel Look what it says, in Matthew chapter
1 verse 22. Through 23, all this took place
to fulfill what the Lord had said.
Through the prophet, the Virgin will conceive and give birth to
a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means Say it
With Me. God With Us.
That's three words. God With Us.
I got to be honest with you,
that doesn't make a lot of sense.
How can God be there and here? And with you, and me and every
single one of us simultaneously, it doesn't make a lot of sense,
but just so, you know, there's a lot of things about Christmas
that just don't make sense. For instance to my knowledge
Christmas is the only birthday party where everybody else gets
the presents. Right?
You didn't go, hey, Mom's birthday's in a couple of weeks.
What are you getting me, right? Nobody has.
But when it comes to Jesus were like, yeah, what are you getting
me? Here's another one Angels
ripping apart the heavens and singing a song to Shepherds
doesn't make sense. Wise men, following a star and
finding a house in Bethlehem. Doesn't make sense?
I'm no scientist But a virgin being pregnant, doesn't make
sense either. But all of that is found right
here in this story, how Does that happen?
Well Luke gives us a clue in Luke 1:37 inside the birth
Narrative of Jesus. This is what it says for nothing
will be impossible with God. How can God be with us?
Because nothing is impossible for him.
How can God be with you and me and every situation and in every
circumstance because with him, nothing is impossible, and God
has made it his mission to be with you.
If you will let him. As I said from the very
beginning, this is a gift for your past, a gift for your
present, and it's a gift for your future.
How is this baby in a Manger? Good news for your past.
Well, that baby doesn't stay in a Manger 33 years later.
He walks alone loan to Calvary and he dies a death that nobody
else can die in your place on your behalf.
So that way you don't have to, and he was on the cross, he
brought about healing and redemption and forgiveness for
your past. Recently, my family's been sick.
I kid came home last Thursday sick from school then my other
kid got sick then my wife got sick.
It's a miracle that I'm here. I've been ducking and weaving
all week long and 11 night at about 2 in the morning.
One of my kids start screaming from upstairs Dad, I threw up.
I get up. I'm like okay you guys, I threw
up in my room like all right. Go to another bedroom and go to
sleep and I went back to bed. I figured listen, I figured it
wasn't going to be that bad. I was wrong, he he didn't miss
the toilet, he didn't even make it into the vicinity of the
bathroom. I brought pictures.
Now, I'm joking. I didn't, I wouldn't do that to
you. So I go and get the paper towels
and I get the spray and I start in And it's not going so well.
And my son said, why don't we just light some candles?
Right? And I said that won't work.
And he goes. Why?
I said because cannibals only / only deal with the smell.
They don't deal with the stain. So, I went to Walmart, went to
the vacuum section, and then I was looking for, like the
whatever you call them. You can see how how useful I am
around the house, the wet vacs, you know, like the pet urine
scrubbing, machines and I bought the one where you put the water
in and you get the added Heat. And this Bissell bad boy, you
know, and I went to work and I got the Bissell.
Added heat pet scrubbing, water holding OxiClean solution,
shooting stain, Destroyer. And I went to work.
And eventually. That spot.
Look brand new. When it comes to your past.
You don't need more candles. You need Bissell?
Jesus. And some of us have been buying
candles for a really long time. We've just been trying to cover
up the smell of our past instead of dealing with the stain of our
past. Now you so you go out and you
Goodbye. The you buy the job candle and
the new boyfriend candle and the vacation.
You can't afford candle and a different car candle and you
move to a different neighborhood candle or you, you leave that
job and you get the new job candle and you just keep getting
more. And more candles trying to solve
the smell instead of spending your time actually addressing
the stain. And you get like the one with
candle then you like, well, that's not enough.
We need to get the to wit candle.
Then you get the three wit candle the other day I was
lighting are for Witkin on. Mike, why are we?
Why are we buying these? Because the last one is always
the hardest one to lighten. You end up burning the hair off
your wife's Knuckles when you when she's trying to get it
going right and you just want to go stop.
And some of us, we've written so many candles in our lives that
we can hardly breathe. And then eventually the candles,
go out and the smell returns. And so we go and buy more
candles. When all along, all you needed
was Bissell. Jesus my boys took pictures
before and after I'm not going to show them.
But can I tell you something? The area where I let Bissell
Jesus do his work? Is the cleanest room in the
cleanest part of that room. Isn't that interesting?
The place where the biggest stain is is now the most
beautiful piece of carpet in the room.
And those of us who have a long history with Jesus Christ, isn't
that our testimony? That he took the most beat-up
parts of us and made it the most beautiful that you can look
through our lives and you can see exactly where we've let him
do his work. And you can see exactly where we
stole him to stop. You could choose candles.
But Bissell, Jesus is the only thing that will fix the stain of
your past. There is no sinner.
He can't save. There is no failure.
He can't fix. There is no, there is no
situation that he can't solve his good news for your past.
How is this baby in a Manger? Good news for your present.
Well, that baby doesn't stay in a Manger after his crucifixion
and Resurrection. He ascended into heaven.
He seated at the right hand of God and there, he intercedes for
you. It's a big church word.
All it means is, he talks to God on your behalf and at the same
time that he's doing that. He's placed his spirit in those
who are believers in Jesus, where he goes with us, no matter
what we face. Here's what that means.
Emmanuel means god with you. No matter what you're going
through, Immanuel god with you. And you might be tempted to say,
but Clayton, you don't know about my unique situation and my
unique challenges and that's why he's not with me.
So I put a list together. If you're dealing with addiction
abuse and anger management, you need to hear this Emmanuel.
God is with you and your Brokenness bad habits, and
business blunders Emmanuel God is with you, and your closeted
cynicism, and in your colossal challenges Emmanuel, God is with
you, in your doubts, Darkness, depression, diagnosis and
defeats the Bible, screams Emmanuel, God is with you in
your embarrassment and in your emptiness Emmanuel.
In your fatigue and failures gloom, and guilt hate, and
heartbreak imperfections. And inadequacies Emmanuel, God
is with you. Some of you are going.
Is he doing what? I think he's doing.
The answer is, yes. If you're becoming jaded and
judgmental, and if you're facing jeering and needing Justice,
Emmanuel, God is with you. When you're standing in your
kitchen looking at koalas or staring through kaleidoscopes,
Emmanuel, God is with you in your loneliness, messiness
neediness, oppressiveness and pettiness.
You manual, in your questioning. God is with you and your raging
and restlessness shaming and sadness.
Trying and tiredness. Emmanuel, God is with you in
your uncertainty and uneasiness. Emmanuel, God is with you in
your vices and victories. And when you take your dog to
the vet Emmanuel, God is with you in your worry and weariness
and weakness. Immanuel God.
God is with you XYZ bare with me.
And when you're getting an x-ray because you got kicked by a yak
at the zoo Emmanuel. God is with you.
There is no situation that you will face.
There is no circumstance that you will walk through where God
is not fully ready and prepared to be with you in that moment
Emmanuel God is with you and that is good news for your
present. But what about your future?
Well, these promises are not just for today.
A before every day in front of you, there is no mountain too
high. That you can go and Escape him.
And there is no Valley too low that you can go and hide out.
It was David who says, in Psalm 23, you've all been to a
funeral. You've heard these words, even
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear. No evil.
Why? Because you are with me.
Emmanuel. There are a lot of gifts that
you're going to want this Christmas, but there is only one
gift you need. And that is Emmanuel.
You need God with you. And here at the Crossing, we
call that an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And you can open that gift today.
And when you open that gift, it will make all the difference.
And I hope you'll do just that that we love you remember to a
time of decision. Just talking about gifts gets me
excited. I don't know about you tomorrow.
Morning's a special morning when you especially with kids and you
open up gifts. But the special thing about this
gift that we are talking about right now is this listen, it has
your name on it. It has your name on it all week
long. My kids been going around the
tree. The saying that has my name on
it. It has my name on it because you
get excited about when you see a gift and you have that gift tag
and it has his name on it. It's special.
But here's what the Angels declared the day.
Jesus was born, they said, hey, this child is good news of
great, joy for all people, which includes every single one of you
that it doesn't matter. Like he said, where you've been
It doesn't matter what you've done in your past, this gift,
this gift of Jesus is available to you, this gift of him being
Immanuel god with you has your name on it and I hope you'll
consider that today opening that because when you open it, this
is what it looks like it's when you open it, you're saying, I
believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that I'm going to
pursue the very call that he has on my life.
And listen, I know all of you are at least I should say most
of you you have all your Christmas shopping done, there
may be a crazy one out there. And you're like, I got the
perfect gifts, I have it, it's wrapped.
I'm ready to for Christmas morning, for my kid or my wife
or my my husband open it. My grandma to open this gift,
it's the perfect gift. And I will tell you this.
The greatest gift you can give your family.
The greatest gift you can give those who love you and care for
you. Deeply is the Assurance of where
you're spending eternity. When this life is over, when you
start an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus, when
you confess that with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord.
When you start that intimate personal relationship with
Jesus, you would be joining. You will be joining several
people. Making that step this very
weekend, we've had one on Wednesday, one on Thursday, our
sorry. One on Thursday, one on Friday
we had Add to right before service.
We have another one happening. This service people are saying,
I'm accepting that free gift of grace.
And mercy, I am opening that gift and I am believing that
Jesus who he says he is their starting that relationship and I
want to, I want to ask if you've never started that before.
If you've never opened and received that gift, it can
happen today just a little bit. The music is going to start, and
I'm going to be right up by the stage and we'd love to help you
navigate what your next steps are.
And you can do that next step today.
You can start that relationship today.
But for us as Christians in here, maybe you made that
decision in the past, maybe it's been recent.
Maybe it was a long time ago, you open the gift, you started
walking with Jesus, but like some presents that we get in our
past. Sometimes we just kind of put
them off to the side. We start just kind of saying
I'll come back to it eventually and you've been kind of living a
life not with Jesus in this in this time that you're living
right now, you're not engaging with him, you just put it to
your side and your you're just living in your own wisdom and
your own strength. It looks like you're not walking
daily with Jesus. You're not opening up the word
of God. You're not allowing it to come
inside of you and transform you, but I have to remind you
something. Listen.
So we have everything that we need in Christ.
We have everything we need in Jesus, but yet for some reason
and I get it, the lower Story Probably came inside of your
life. We keep leaving behind that gift
and ignoring the plans and the purposes that he has for you,
for your family, for your friends, your finances, and even
your future. So maybe in this moment, you're
not accepting the gift for the first time, but maybe you need
to reclaim it, you need to get down on your knees.
And you just say, God, I've been, I've been living away from
you. I've been living on my own
strength and I just need you to know that I'm all in and I need
to live with that accepting that gift today, and maybe that's
what you're going to do in this time.
For all of us in this room to there's something special that
we have, we have this message, we have this truth, we have this
hope. And the best thing we could do
is we could give it to others. We could re-gift it without
losing it ourselves. We can, you know, around the
Christmas table, with your family, or your friends, and
just a little bit, you can share this, hope this gift that's
available to your family and friends and let them know that
they are loved, and they can start that intimate personal
relationship with him. But right now, this church, we
have a small gift for you and it's up in these gift boxes and
there's several up here and I get it.
I'm this, this is gift is for every single person and just a
little bit. You're going to see people come
forward. They're going to come up and
grab it and you're gonna be like it's too crowded up there.
There's too many people, listen, there's a lot of time on this
back-end. I'm just going to encourage you
to just take a moment and come claim this gift.
Because all this is is a reminder for you.
A reminder for me, it has a simple phrase on their just says
this. God loves you, and so do we.
And I know that may not seem like, oh, wow.
That's so deep. That's so powerful.
But listen, I'm going to encourage you.
When you grab this gift, you put it somewhere special, whether
it's in your car, whether it's in your Bible, whether it's in
your nightstand, whether it's in your bathroom, when you get up
in the morning you get ready and you're brushing your hair or for
those guys who just trying to comb a couple here.
Is like, it's there. And you just need that.
Reminder, God loves me and so do I.
And so, do we this church? Listen, this church absolutely
loves you. And if you don't know this, I
want you to hear it from my voice.
We are in your corner. We are rooting for you.
We're rooting for your families, we want.
What's best for you? We know what's best for you is
living inside that relationship with Jesus.
And so, and just a little bit, I'm gonna encourage you come get
this gift, maybe you pray over it a little bit and there might
be a time where At just the right moment you're having that
lower Storey moment and you don't know where to go and you
don't know where to look. But then all of a sudden that
card is going to minister to you and just the right point and
remind you that he loves you and that this church is for you.
So I want you to consider that as you stand to your feet right
now. As we go into this time of
worship. Let's pray together, Heavenly
Father, Lord, I'm so thankful for each and every single person
that is in this place right now, this Christmas before all the
busyness For all the preparations.
God, they are here for a reason. They're here for a reason, Lord.
And I pray for that person who just needs to accept that gift
for the very first time, I pray for boldness, for them to let
them know that it is. Okay.
And they're not alone and that they have a church family and
they have people in their lives. That mean, that is the greatest
gift they can give them is by starting that relationship with
you, but Lord, I know there's others, we get stuck in this
lower story of a life that just need to reclaim.
That gift they need to just refresh their relationship with
you. And I pray, they do business
with you and this time, but Lord also I know that there is a
broken world out there where they need people.
The people in this room to tell them about this gift that
they've received and to help share that with them.
In this moment, I pray God just for these next few moments,
powerful moments for families, the circle around each other and
pray together to claim this gift that God.
You love us. And that we're in their Corner
as well. We love you and pray all this in
Jesus name. Amen.
And that we're in their Corner as well.
We love you and pray all this in Jesus name.
Amen.