Preparing for Christmas - All Together Service

[0:00] This is a sermon from King's Church West London. Okay, folks. Well, excuse me with my slightly croaky voice. I'll try it. Hopefully you can hear me still.

[0:13] But quick vote for me. It is the 30th of November. If you think it's too early for us to be preparing for Christmas, I want you to do this. When I say go, I want you to do this. If you think it's exactly the right time, I want you to do this.

[0:30] Okay, so let's just see where we sit on this. Are you like too early? You're going to do this to me? I can see if you're ready, Davey and me, can I see that? Okay. And are you like never too early for Christmas? I want you to do this or exactly the right time. Do this. Okay, go for it. Show me, show me, show me.

[0:43] Okay, I'm watching. Luke Danes is on the fence here. So this is, it's too early. Okay, keep going so I can just have a quick check, okay?

[0:56] Okay, okay, we're pretty pro-preparing early kind of people. Thank you very much. Because here's my thing. This year, for some reason, I think it cannot be too early to start getting ready for Christmas.

[1:10] Okay, and I am so excited that I've done something a bit crazy. I've actually started a pact. I'm good to go. Here I have what I think are certainly some of the essentials for Christmas.

[1:24] I'm so prepared. I'm prepared 20 whatever days it is in advance. And let me show you some of the things that I think are essential. Okay, so, and you can see if you agree with me. If you think these are essential, you can put your thumb up and just be like, yeah, I agree.

[1:38] Definitely need it, okay? And let's see if I can multitask here. It's going to be interesting. So maybe some of these things will help you prepare too, because there'll be some things here you don't want to forget.

[1:48] Okay, so the first thing I think is pretty essential is the Christmas jumper. Anyone agree with me on this? Like Christmas jumper, essential Christmas. I can see, oh, some of you are deeply not Christmas jumper people. I see that.

[2:01] Okay, so very essential. Where's Toby? Toby, I can kind of do that. Come and help me, my friends. Okay, so hold on to this for me. You're going to hold some essentials. Christmas jumper. I want to be warm and cozy.

[2:12] I'm expecting to be invited to some parties. I'm expecting lots of Christmas fun, and I'm hoping, I'd like to take this pretty cool jumper. Maybe it's not. I'm not sure. I'd like to think I'll get some compliments along the way.

[2:25] Here's the challenge. When I think about what Jesus turned up in, well, he left behind his kind of kingly robes of heaven. He left behind the comfort and the coziness and the warmth.

[2:39] And it says in Philippians, he emptied himself, became like a servant. He became in human form. And shock horror, babies are born totally naked.

[2:53] Okay, so he's left behind all the comfort and the glory of heaven to turn up into a little skinny baby. No sequins or sparkles.

[3:05] Just a little, tiny, vulnerable child. But Christmas jumper, essential for Christmas. I'm going to wear it. I'm looking forward to it. But Jesus seemed to think it wasn't the main thing.

[3:18] Okay, next one. So, okay, hands up if you think either of these are essentials for Christmas. Okay, I've got my miniature heroes, and I've got my mince pies. Okay, yeah, quite a lot of you.

[3:28] Okay, hold those, sweet hopes. Thanks so much. Okay, and I'm hoping there'll be some feasts, some treats, loads of chocolate. But, and then I think about Jesus, and I think he turns up not with a big kind of feast going on, not with loads of treats waiting for him, not even a particularly warm, cozy home to be in.

[3:49] He's a king who chooses not to be comfortable. Even though often I think I deserve the comfort of a king. He chooses the uncomfortable thing about serving other people and becoming less somehow.

[4:04] Even though he's worthy and glorious and deserves all honor and every good thing we could give him, he deserves. All right, next one. Okay, slippers.

[4:16] Do not forget your slippers, guys. Oh, Vicky, you're with me on this. I mean, these genuinely are mine to my embarrassment. I will be wearing these at Christmas time and other times of the year when available. And anyone else think these are essential?

[4:28] Cozy stuff? I mean, if you're like me, you might imagine yourself enjoying just chilling out by the fire and just enjoying hopefully building a bit of my Lego, hopefully watching a bit of Christmas TV.

[4:41] Maybe if I'm really lucky, someone else will come along and serve me a glass of juice and I will just have a wonderful time being served in my cozy slippers.

[4:54] And then I read in the Bible, So rather than be given to, he was going to give himself.

[5:11] My feet are up at Christmas, but we have a Savior who got down and washed other people's feet and who chose the serving route, who chose to help other people more than being served himself.

[5:27] And then gifts. Okay, if your thumb is not up, you're asleep and this is a check. Okay, do you need gifts at Christmas? Okay, a few of you do. Good, I'm glad to... Well, yeah, I've got them. Totally fine.

[5:38] And we... Toby, sorry, I've forgotten to keep... Okay, you got it? Okay, you there still? Yeah, okay, good. Glad you got some of the essentials in place. And I didn't quite fit in my bag, but we'll definitely have a load of gifts.

[5:50] I guess my question is, amongst all the stuff and all the busyness and all the really good things, I think these are all really good things. You don't right now, maybe, matey. These are all really good things.

[6:02] My question is, can we make space for... Oh, yeah, let's put them down, shall we? There you go. My question is, thank you very much, my friend. My question is, can we make space for the ultimate gift, the gift of Jesus, who is not about being...

[6:23] Who didn't turn up to be comfy and cozy, didn't turn up to be kind of lord over us, didn't turn up to kind of... To live in the kind of stuff that Christmas has become about.

[6:36] But in fact, came as God's love letter to us. Jesus, God's love shown to us. And the Bible, we know, says that God so loved the world that he gave his only son to you and me.

[6:52] He gave him. And he is way above all the other good things or gifts we might get this Christmas. He is God's love letter to you and to me and God's gift to you and to me.

[7:07] So as we prepare for Christmas, in all the good things, I just want to encourage you to make space for the great one who left his comfort and kingliness for you and for me.

[7:21] The love of God given to us. And here's my challenge for you is, now, I don't think he wants rid of all this stuff particularly. I think he's every good gift, the Bible says, comes from God.

[7:34] So every good thing you enjoy this Christmas, it all in some way, if it's really good, is a gift from him to you. Which means, as you get ready for Christmas, as you're preparing all this stuff, as you're enjoying all the time with friends and family, my challenge to you and to me is, can we see him in everything?

[7:55] Can we know him as we enjoy the good thing of rest? Can we know him as we celebrate the feast and fun stuff of Christmas? Jesus seems quite like a party.

[8:08] But my challenge to you is, how much of Jesus can you see this season? Because I reckon if you look for him, you'll find him. And you'll realize again and again as you head up to the big day, just how loving God is to involve him in your life.

[8:25] So become aware of him with you and that he's for you and that he is the greatest gift. And the greatest thing you can do to prepare this Christmas is to see him in all of it and give it all to him.

[8:40] I'm going to pray for us and then we're going to sing together. Let's pray. Let's pray. Father God, I thank you for the gift of your son. I thank you that you sent him to live and to die and to rise again for us that we might know you.

[8:59] And I ask that you'd help us among all the really good gifts you've given us, among the gifts of family and friends and celebrations and preparations. Would you help us see you and know you in every bit of it?

[9:13] And Father, where we might squeeze you out, would you, we make you welcome in this moment. We say welcome in. Be present in these weeks ahead as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

[9:27] In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen.