January 8, 2006

A Christmas Story

Star Trek (The Next Generation)

Matthew 12:1-12

Opening Words: Like Michelangelo created David from a block of marble, Advent was a time to chisel away all the excess in your life. For hiding inside of you is the person that God intended. Perhaps, you had to chisel away your prejudices, stereotypes and frustrations. You may have had to chisel away your negativity or set your sights higher. Christmas is over and perhaps you still have some work to do! Keep going because when you are finished you will discover yourself, the way God intended from the very beginning.

The twelve days of Christmas are now over. The liturgical season of Christmastide ended on Friday, January 6, when the season of Epiphany began. It is a season when we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to save all people, not just one particular race or group. The traditional symbol of the season of Epiphany is the Magi, those mysterious visitors from the east, found in Matthew 2. This is sermon number eight in a nine part sermon series I have called A Christmas Story. Let me call this message, Star Trek (The New Generation).

The Bible, Matthew 2:16, tells us their visit to Jesus came two years after his birth. (Why else would Herod kill all babies two year old and younger?) Your nativity set is wrong. Jesus is no longer that new born babe in the manger. Jesus is a two year old, whose personality is in full bloom. They come to worship him with an open mind. This is my question for you today. What is your attitude when you come to worship Jesus?

Introduction

I love the story of Sir Christopher Wren. The noted English architect was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, "What are you doing?" The first replied, "I'm cutting stone for 10 shillings a day." The next answered, "I'm putting in 10 hours a day on this job." But the third said, "I'm helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London's greatest cathedrals." Actress Patricia Neal once said, “A positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” Concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl once said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

If I would ask the people in your life about your attitude what would they say? If I were to ask your co-workers about your attitude on the job what would they say? If I would go door to door through your neighborhood and ask about your attitude in the neighborhood what would they say? If I would ask your family members about your attitude what would they say? If I would wander through this church and ask people about your attitude what would they say? Your attitude affects the way that you experience the world around you. So do you have a good attitude or a bad attitude?

A good attitude is one of the most important assets you can have. Mental health experts tell us there are real benefits to having a good attitude. Let me give you five benefits of having a positive attitude:

1. Your relationships are fuller, more harmonious, and more beneficial. The better your attitude, the easier it is to resolve conflicts.

2. Your health is better. Research is underscoring this fact all the time.

3. You will make more money. People are hired and promoted as much for their attitudes as for their skill and knowledge.

4. You make better decisions. Studies show that people are more creative and are better able to reason in a good mood than in a bad mood.

5. You will feel happier more often.

Body

Our scripture lesson today is about people with a good attitude. Tradition calls them wise men but the Bible simple calls them the Magi, probably astrologers from Persia or southern Arabia. They were on a star trek. They had seen a star in the east, which signaled to them that a new king had been born. They assumed the new king would be born in the capital city of Jerusalem. They assumed wrong. The new king, the long awaited Messiah, was born in Bethlehem. This little surprise did not bother them. They had an open mind and a positive attitude. They didn’t care. They just wanted to experience the new-born King! In the end they experienced Jesus because their positive attitude permitted them to experience Jesus.

Can the same thing be said about us? We are on a star trek too of the next generation. All that really matters every Sunday morning is that you experience Jesus! I hope you came to church this morning to experience Jesus. The only thing that really matters is Jesus. Did you come to church this morning with an open mind? If so, you will experience Jesus! Do you have an open mind? Or is your mind narrow or closed limiting your own access to the Master? We need to be like the Magi and have open minds. What is your attitude when you come to worship Jesus?

Today, ever so briefly I want to look at your mind. When you walked through our doors did you have an open mind? When you walked through our church doors did you have a narrow mind? When you walked through our church doors did you have a closed mind? (Does anyone one here not have a mind?) What is your attitude when you come to worship Jesus?

Closed Minds

When you walked through our church doors did you have a closed mind? There are many reasons that people come to church. You can come to church every week and miss Jesus completely. Verse eight tells us King Herod wanted as to go and worship the new born King but he wasn’t going to really experience Jesus. He was going to eliminate Jesus so his place in history would be secure. Old King Herod had a closed mind. Do you know anyone who has a closed mind?

I have a wonderful friend in this church, whose name will go unspoken. For some reason we just click. I enjoy her friendship and respect her opinions. She is a faithful worshipper and rarely misses a Sunday. However, there are two weeks a year that she will miss. You will never see her here on Easter morning or Christmas Eve. Why? She told me she doesn’t come on Easter morning and Christmas Eve because of all the people. (Preachers and members of the Finance Committee love Easter morning and Christmas Eve.) She says, “They come for all the wrong reasons. They come to be seen. They come because they are expected to come.” I think there is a certain amount of truth to that statement. How many of that crowd really come to experience Jesus? Perhaps, some have closed minds? There are many reasons to come to church that have nothing to do with Jesus. If you know of someone who has a closed mind, say, “Amen!”

Narrow Minds

When you walked through our church doors did you have a narrow mind? They are good people who want to experience Jesus but they only want to experience Jesus on their own terms. Can I be honest with you? Narrow minded worshippers are more concerned with their opinions and happiness than Jesus. Do you know anyone who is narrow minded?

This week we were introduced to Tallmansville, West Virginia. It is the community where the coal mine disaster took place. Twelve of their own died. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those people. What makes their story even darker is the false report that twelve of the miners had survived. When that misinformation was released they called it a miracle. Everyone ran to the local Baptist church. The church bell rang and the people sang, Amazing Grace. One gentleman said, “Everyone was praising God.” Then the true information was released, twelve miners had died! There was a rush of negative emotions. The church bells and the singing stopped. The same gentleman who reported the praising said, “People started cursing God!” Our hearts ache for those people but they illustrate the human condition. So many people want to experience God on their terms.

When you came to church this morning did you want to experience Jesus on your own terms? Narrow minds are the reason that every congregation is filled with negativity. Good people come to church to experience Jesus but they want to experience Jesus on their own terms. That is why we spent so much time talking about music selection, music volume, music quality, frequency of communion, method of communion, budgets, apportionments, storage, church cleaning, dirty windows and style of worship. If you have mentioned one of those topics lately then you have a narrow mind! Dale Carnegie once said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” Narrow minded people are good people who want to experience Jesus but they want to experience Jesus on their own terms. If you know of someone who has a narrow mind, say, “Amen!”

Open Minds

When you walked through our church doors did you have an open mind? The only thing that matters to open minded people is Jesus. The Magi were open minded people. They had a good attitude! They saw the star in the east and went to the palace. They knew that star was a signal. A new king was born and they didn’t want to miss it. They assumed the king would be born in the palace in the capital city of Jerusalem. They were wrong! The king wasn’t born in the capital city of Jerusalem. The king was born in Bethlehem. The king wasn’t born in the palace with the royalty. They king was born in a manger with the comoners. The scriptures do not record any finger pointing or arguing among the Magi. Verse nine simply says when they found out they were wrong they simply continued their star trek. Verse eleven says when they found the king they worship him. The only thing that matters to an open mind is experiencing Jesus! Do you know anyone who has an open mind? Do you have an open mind?

Conclusion

Let me end with a quick story. Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing."

We are like the Magi. We are on a star trek of the next generation. We want to experience Jesus! Sadly, some of us are missing him! What is your attitude when you come to worship Jesus? Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus or does something else have your attention? And all of God's positive people say, “Amen!”