December 27 & 28, 1997 Sermon

December 27 & 28, 1997

"Go, Show and Tell"

Tom Tumblin

Kids aren’t the only ones who get excited about Christmas gifts. Our computer consultant, Larry Hansford, knows that I am a gadget guy, especially when it comes to computers. For Christmas, he gave me this nifty Palm Pilot that he had gotten at a discount through his business. Look at this thing! <Press button - Ride of the Valgaries> It has a calendar, a note pad, an address and phone book, a calculator, an expenses log, a to do list... It can even do e-mail!
I am a happy man. I can’t imagine how I made it though life without one of these babies. I can link it to my computer at home or work and download all the information. It recognizes handwriting or you can use this tiny little typewriter keyboard. It’s a great gift!
Look, it’s better than one of those Gega Pets - it tells me when I need fed and when I need to go to bed. It has a game on it, too. Do you suppose I’m obsessing when I stay up all night trying to win the game? As you can see from the screen, it can even do duck calls! Great gift!
The Palm Pilot is a great gift, but it’s not the ultimate Christmas gift. Let’s look at Luke Chapter 2.

Luke 2:8-12
8: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9: And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
10: And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;
11: For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Luke 2:8-12
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don’t be afraid I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger...."

Luke 2:15-18
15: When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16: And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17: And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;
18: And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Luke 2:15-18
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

I. Go!
It Happened on the Night Shift
In our text, we witness the cycle of God’s Christmas advertising plan: Come and See followed by Go and Tell. The sheep herders had just gone onto the night shift. The night is a dangerous time for sheep - their predators were most likely to attempt an attack under the guise of the dark. The sheep herders were seasoned. They knew to set the night watch. They had gathered the sheep in their field pens and had laid down in front of the only entrance or exit themselves. Their own bodies were the gates to the pens. Any other night. Any other field. Same sheep. Same sheep herders.
BOOM! The quiet of the sameness was shattered by the blinding light and startling announcement that caught them off guard. Messengers from God had interrupted the night shift with the unexpected news from God’s emergency broadcast network. Things weren’t going to be the same anymore! The whole world was about to be set on a new course. Like the airline pilot who is constantly looking for reference points to guide the plane, a little baby born in a Bethlehem manger was going to provide a whole new perspective. The (not a) Savior was born! Messiah and master! The angel choirs sang, the sheep herders stood in shock, the sheep looked clueless like they always do...
After the angelic spectacle ended, those sheep herders had a few options. One, they could have looked at each other in an attempt to appear sane and made a pact to keep quiet. "I won’t tell if you won’t. They’ll think we’re crazy, like one of those alien abduction reports." Or, they could have gone back to their night shift. After all, night shift wages are only paid if you stay on the job! Thankfully, they opted to follow the angels’ invitation to Come and See. They left running. They knew it was a God thing that had just happened to them.
Now, let’s check something here. I’m a city boy, but I’m told it’s rather tough to get sheep to run anywhere, especially at night without the highbeams. In fact, Dave Phipps tells me sheep don’t run after dark. Where did they leave the sheep?
Sure enough, just as the messengers from God had promised, they found a baby Jesus lying in a feed trough with a ragged couple looking on. Seeing was believing. After an undocumented amount of time (remember, they’re on the clock), the sheep herders scooted out of there and let loose telling everyone they saw about what happened on the night shift. Show and Tell was in full swing.

What's It Worth?
Have you ever noticed how many different sizes of batteries there are? My daughters got a toy dog that took two types of batteries. Three trips to the store later... I thought about gerry rigging a car battery with wires to every type of battery powered gadget we unwrapped at Christmas to avoid buying so many A cells, AA cells, AAA cells, D cells, button batteries, C cells, 9 volt,...
Like those toys, we have the most important piece missing in how we are wired - the gift of God’s powerful presence in our lives. Jesus Christ is that ultimate gift. I could have the greatest miniature computer in my hand that was ever invented, but without the batteries, it’s just a collection of wires and plastic.
No matter how much gerry rigging we try to do in our spiritual quests, there is no substitute for God, no other power source that will fit our design. God has no plan B. God has designed one option and one option only for our completeness. Without the batteries, the best gift is not good enough. Without Christ, the best person is not good enough.
The bottom line is that anything or anyone good finds the source of their goodness in God. That’s where the term good came from. God sent Jesus to put us in relationship with our Creator. God’s plan is to make us our best selves, what God has created us to be. In Christ, there is no such thing as batteries not included. Without Christ, no substitute can replace the Source God had in mind.
Co-creator of all that exists, perfect Son of God, promised forgiver of all our failings, our cheerleader before God, the first, the best, the final word, and every thing in between. When we really understand this Gift of Christ, we find our feet and mouths re-directed to go and tell. Just like kids with a new toy, we’re dying to find somebody to show and tell.

II. Show and Tell
On Labor Day weekend we were visiting Yvonne’s cousins in southern Ohio. They literally live in a holler near Portsmouth and we were enjoying the peaceful holiday with "The Country Cousins." After dark, the guys decided that they would go 4 wheeling through the hills and wanted to know if I wanted to come along. This may shock you, but I had never been on a four wheeler before. I was (and am) the consummate city slicker that likes things safe and predictable. No surprises. My theory has always been that any sport that requires long sleeves and goggles so your arms and face don’t get torn off just wasn’t my thing.
As you can see, they convinced me to go. Monster hills, crater-like mud puddles. I discovered thorns hurt at 35 miles an hour. Why in the world would I take such a risk? Temporary insanity? The spirit of kamikaze? I went for three reasons:
I knew I wouldn’t be going alone;
I knew I would have more power at my finger tips than I would ever need;
I knew it would be a great adventure.

Now that you know...
I want to invite you to another great adventure. I want to challenge you to be a spiritual kamikaze - to commit Biblical espionage through showing the Gift of God in Jesus. Do you remember Steve Sjogren? In August he introduced us to "random acts of kindness done in the name of Jesus to change the world." As you came in to worship, you received a list of 10 ways to show and tell about Christ, ways to do the Good News. They are low risk, especially when done in groups, and you don’t need great speaking skills. Just work the night shift. Take a small risk to bring light into the life of a neighbor, co-worker, or someone you happen upon. Researchers tell us that it takes at least 5 contacts with the good news of Christ for someone to make a commitment. I want you to be part of the seed planting. You don’t need to be a shark-like Bible thumper or do more than simply touch some one else with kindness in the name of Christ.
Believe it or not, I received a gift better than the Palm Pilot this year. Yvonne and the girls selected photos of our 13 years together and sent them off to a lab. The tie I am wearing today is the result. From our wedding in 1985 to our trip this summer to Atlanta, they gave me the gift of themselves - the gift of our lives together. There’s a picture of our first church, our apartment in Ann Arbor, a picture of me holding the girls, all reminders of the gift they have been to me. Committing these acts of spiritual counterintelligence is the giving away of ourselves, the persons Jesus has made us, to people made for relationship with God.
Look at the list. Maybe it’s something as easy as sweeping snow off the walks for a neighbor or passing out cups of coffee. Maybe it’s like Tish Martin in the video earlier - serving a cup of soup to show God’s love. Buy a stack of newspapers to distribute. Surprise the lunch crowd at the local drive through window by "biggie sizing." My favorite is the dollar drop at the mall.
Find a co-conspirator who will team with you to barrage your neighborhood with kindness. Remember - these touchesare not to impress people with how nice we are. They extend the pursuing love of God in tangible form. Ultimately, Jesus did not die for acts of kindness only. Jesus died to give us full and joyful life in the power of God.
To help you make the point, we have printed little cards you can leave with the person. It reads; "We’re glad we had the chance to serve you! We hope this small gift brings some light into your day. It’s a simple way of saying that God loves you." The church’s address and phone are provided as a point of contact. People may not remember your face, but they won’t forget your doing of God’s love in practical ways.

III. A Holy Invasion
In June 1944, the Allied Forces were about to take back the territory they lost to the Nazis. Operation Overlord targeted the beaches of France for a massive invasion that would break the back of the German war machine and end the second world war. General Eisenhower had at his command 2,876,000 men, 5000 ships, and tons of supplies. On June 6, D-Day, the great invasion began. The weather was lousy, but the resolve was unshakable. With overwhelming force, the Allied invasion reclaimed Europe.
I challenge you to join a holy invasion force! With all the power of God at our fingertips, we are called to bomb the beaches (Dan Glover) with divine, loving acts of kindness. We will break new ground, plant seeds of hope, water the witness laid down before us, and (with the help of God’s forward guard Spirit) reclaim lives for which Christ died. There are a million people in our ministry area. If every family at Ginghamsburg were to touch 10 families a week in 1998, everyone of those million people will have been reached. Will you dare to plant the seeds of kindness in Jesus’s name?
No more debate. No more dazed looks wondering what to do next. No more waiting for the expert evangelists. Normal people following the lead of God’s Spirit. You and me. Period. Be part of the invasion!