Fri Dec 20, 2013

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2013

Pastor Dermoth Baptiste

We are all fallen descendants of Adam with a sinful nature that is repugnant to God, but God’s nature, predicated on infinite love could not abandon His creation or forsake His children and that is why the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God broke through into human existence over 2,000 years ago to declare to the world that no one has to be in the mire of sin and degradation, but that we can find cleansing, healing and forgiveness through the all sufficiency of Jesus.{{more}} The name Jesus means “the Lord saves”. In that one name is the embodiment of the greatest and most wonderful thing that ever happened to mankind. In that one name is the sum total of our salvation. This is why there is Christmas.

Just in case you might be wondering why Jesus is the only One who can save, it is simply because there is no other person who has ever been or who will ever be good enough to stand innocent before God. No matter how superior a person seems, no matter how idealistic he appears to be, no matter how iconic he is proclaimed to be, no matter how much good that person does for humanity, no matter how sinless a person seems to you and me, no one has ever been or will ever be perfect, without blemish and without flaw. The birth of Jesus was uniquely exceptional, having been conceived by the Holy Ghost as the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world to satisfy the demands of the broken law and bridge the chasm between sinful man and a sinless God.

The Christmas story declares that Jesus sets up camp among us to show us the love of the Father and to give us hope and assurance of salvation, if we by faith accept Him as Sovereign Lord and Master of our lives. The season of Advent then is not for extreme merchandizing, extravagant commercializing, exalting Santa, excessive feasting and excluding Jesus from our affairs. It is a time for sober reflection, for critical analysis, for stocktaking as to where we are in the salvation experience.

At this festive season and with the year 2013 almost at an end I would like to pose these questions that beg for our honest responses: have we been drawn closer to the Lord, dwelling in His presence day by day, learning from Him and practising what it means to be children of the heavenly King? Have we been more kind, compassionate, humane and neighbourly to friends, family, work associates and even the intolerable and unlovely? Are we giving back to the cause of God or grabbing all that I can and canning all that I have and sitting on the can? As citizens, are we making our productive contributions to the building up of humanity, the strengthening of society and the fostering of a richer, nobler civilization? Are we more thankful and appreciative of the blessings of God on our lives? I believe these should be fundamental questions that ought to be considered by every rational individual and family and in every church service and social gathering.

On behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I extend best wishes to everyone for a Christ-filled festive season and a Christ- centered New Year. In everything that you do or say, may Christ be seen, honoured, glorified and exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and may we kneel before Him and worship, confessing, “Lord, help thou my unbelief”.