Sermon: Christmas When You’re Lost by Randy Roberts (Part 1 - Christmas: Your Needs, His Names)

Pastoral Welcome: Shirley Ponder

Child Dedication: Jedidiah James Crounse, Rachel Elizabeth, Javor Amalia Ann, and Alyssa Marie Weiss - Randy Roberts 

Baptism: Connor Joseph Urbany, Aykut Ozger - Randy Roberts 

Michelle Alexis Rojas - Elina Camarena

Isaac Joseph Gabriel - DeLote Manuel Vitug

Alexandra Joyce Stream - Tom Quishenberry

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18–21, TNIV - Katy Foster

Note: Baptisms and child dedications are in the extras section of the DVD

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERMON Advent season begins this Sabbath, two days after Thanksgiving. We are thus at the confluence of two seasons—Thanksgiving and Christmas. While they were not connected in their origins, there is, nevertheless, a certain naturalness about celebrating the two close together. Christmas is a season to celebrate the joy of God taking the initiative to bridge the gulf separating humanity and divinity. That divine action rather naturally creates within human beings the understandable response of wanting to praise and thank God for all he has done for us. So it is that at the place where two rivers come together, we are filled with the awe of a Child born in a manger as well as with profound gratitude for the salvation God provides. We wonder and we worship; we observe and we thank; we absorb and we praise—Christmas and Thanksgiving. No wonder I love this time of year! This Sabbath, we begin our Christmas sermon series. Allow me, then, a word about that series. In the Bible, names are very important. They are typically more than just a matter of preference or popularity. They are intended to be descriptive of a person’s character, traits and destiny. In the nativity story found in Matthew’s gospel, we find a number of names and titles being applied to the Baby. This Advent season, we are going to consider those names and what they mean. Our interest is not just to ask their precise defini-tions, but also to ask what those names mean to the living of our lives, the meeting of our needs, and the involvement God has in our world. Thus, the title for our series is, “Christmas: Your Needs, His Names.” Here is an outline of our series: November 28 “Jesus: Christmas When You’re Lost” December 5 “A Son: Christmas When You Need Understanding” December 12 “King: Christmas When Life’s a Battle” December 19 “Messiah: Christmas When You’re Tired of Waiting” December 26 “Immanuel: Christmas When You’re Lonely” God bless you. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Randy Roberts

Senior Pastor

MEDITATION Songs, good feelings, beautiful liturgies, nice presents, big dinners, and sweet words do not make Christmas. Christmas is saying yes to something beyond all emotions and feelings. Christmas is saying yes to a hope based on God’s initiative, which has nothing to do with what I think or feel. Christmas is believing that the salvation of the world is God’s work and not mine. – Henri Nouwen

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