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DO IT ANYWAY (JOHN 1:9-14) DEC.15, 2013

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, ATCHISON, PASTOR LEE HENDON

I MET MARTINA McBRIDE BRIEFLY YEARS AGO WHEN SHE

PREFORMED IN WAYCROSS, GA. SHES A PRETTY LITTLE THING. I

HAVE ALWAYS LOVED HER MUSIC. SHE HAS A GREAT SONG

CALLED, DO IT ANYWAY: IT GOES LIKE THIS:

YOU CAN SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE BUILDING SOMETHING FROM

NOTHING

ONE STORM CAN COME AND BLOW IT ALL AWAY ...

BUILD IT ANYWAY YOU CAN CHASE A DREAM THAT SEEMS SO OUT OF REACH

AND YOU KNOW IT MIGHT NOT EVER COME YOUR WAY ...

DREAM IT ANYWAY

GOD IS GREAT, BUT SOMETIMES LIFE AIN'T GOOD

AND WHEN I PRAY IT DOESN'T ALWAYS TURN OUT LIKE I THINK IT

SHOULD

BUT I DO IT ANYWAY ... I DO IT ANYWAY THIS WORLDS GONE CRAZY AND IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE,

THAT TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER THAN TODAY ...

BELIEVE IT ANYWAY YOU CAN LOVE SOMEONE WITH ALL YOUR HEART, FOR ALL THE

RIGHT REASONS

AND IN A MOMENT THEY CAN CHOOSE TO WALK AWAY ...

LOVE EM ANYWAY

GOD IS GREAT, BUT SOMETIMES LIFE AIN'T GOOD

AND WHEN I PRAY IT DOESN'T ALWAYS TURN OUT LIKE I THINK IT

SHOULD

BUT I DO IT ANYWAY ... YEAH, I DO IT ANYWAY

XMAS IS GODS GREAT - BIG - HUMONGOUS - DO IT ANYWAY!

GOD LOVED THE WORLD SO MUCH THAT GOD SENT HIS ONLY SON,

JESUS, EVEN THOUGH GOD KNEW THE WORLD WOULD REJECT HIM -

GOD LOVES ANYWAY! A WOMAN WAS OUT XMAS SHOPPING W/ HER TWO CHILDREN.

AFTER MANY HRS OF LOOKING AT ROW AFTER ROW OF TOYS &

EVERYTHING ELSE IMAGINABLE & AFTER HRS OF HEARING HER

GIRLS ASK FOR EVERYTHING THEY SAW ON EVERY SHELF, WELL,

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SHE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE ELEVATOR W/ THE LITTLE DARLINGS.

SHE WAS FEELING WHAT MANY PEOPLE FEEL DURING THE

HOLIDAY SEASON - OVERWHELMING PRESSURE TO GO TO EVERY

PARTY, EVERY HOUSEWARMING, TASTE ALL THE HOLIDAY FOOD &

TREATS, GET THAT PERFECT GIFT FOR EVERY PERSON ON THE

SHOPPING LIST & THE PRESSURE RESPONDING TO EVERYONE WHO

SENT A XMAS CARD. FINALLY THE ELEVATOR DOORS OPENED. IT

WAS ALREADY CROWDED INSIDE. SHE PUSHED HER WAY IN &

DRAGGED HER KIDS IN WITH HER ALONG WITH ALL THE FILLED

SHOPPING BAGS. WHEN THE DOORS CLOSED, SHE COULD NOT

TAKE IT ANYMORE & EXCLAIMED, WHOEVER STARTED THIS

WHOLE XMAS MESS SHOULD BE FOUND, STRUNG UP & SHOT!

FROM THE BACK OF THE ELEVATOR, EVERYONE HEARD A SOFT

VOICE RESPOND, DONT WORRY, HONEY, WE ALREADY CRUCIFIED

HIM. FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP DOWN IN THE ELEVATOR IT WAS

SO QUIET YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN HIT THE CARPETED

FLOOR.

GOD SENT HIS SON - BORN TO US IN A MANGER - YET - THE

GOSPEL OF JOHN PUT IT LIKE THIS - THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT.

HE CAME TO HIS OWN HOME & HIS OWN PEOPLE RECEIVED HIM

NOT ACCENTUATED LATER IN JOHN 19, THE SOLDIERS CRUCIFIED

JESUS. GODS PLAN OF SALVATION - TO REVEAL HIS LOVE &

GRACE TO ALL HUMANKIND KNOWING THAT THE WORLD WOULD

REJECT HIS SON, HIS GIFT, YET GOD DID IT ANYWAY!

DOING THAT WHICH IS VIRTUOUS, THAT WHICH IS GOOD -

THAT WHICH IS MEANINGFUL & WITH PURPOSE - ARE TO BE DONE

FOR THEIR OWN RIGHT & REASON - DOING THESE ARE THEIR OWN

JUST REWARD - DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE RECOGNITION OF

OTHERS OR THE OUTCOME. DO IT ANYWAY!

GOD WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD WHEN GOD

REVEALED GODS SELF IN THE BIRTH OF JESUS - THEY DID NOT

RECOGNIZE - DID NOT WELCOME HIM. OF COURSE, THERE WAS A

SPRINKLING OF PEOPLE AT THE MANGER BUT NOTHING WORTHY

THE BIRTH OF GODS SON - WHATS THE DEAL?

JESUS BIRTH IN PALESTINE SHOULD HAVE BN RECOGNIZED.

PALESTINE WAS ESPECIALLY GODS LAND & THE JEWS WERE

ESPECIALLY GODS PEOPLE. THE LAND OF PALESTINE & ISRAEL

BELONGED TO GOD AS NO OTHER LAND & NO OTHER PEOPLE. GOD

OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN COMING TO A NATION THAT WLD WELCOME

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HIM WITH OPEN ARMS; THE DOOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN WIDE OPEN

FOR HIM; HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELCOMED LIKE A WAYFARER

COMING HOME; LIKE A KING COMING TO HIS OWN KINGDOM! YET,

HE WAS REJECTED! BUT GOD DID IT ANYWAY!

THEREIN WAS THE TRAGEDY OF A PEOPLE BEING PREPARED

FOR A TASK & THEN REFUSING THAT TASK. GOD PAINSTAKINGLY

WORKED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS THROUGH PROPHETS, KINGS &

HIS WORD TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE BIRTH OF JESUS - NO

RESPONSE - EVEN WORSE, OPEN HOSTILITY & REBELLION TO THAT

WHICH GOD HAD PLANNED. BUT GOD DID IT ANYWAY.

IT WOULD BE VERY WRONG FOR US TO THINK THAT GOD

PREPARED ONLY THE JEWISH PEOPLE - FOR WE ARE NOW THE

CHOSEN OF GOD - THOSE WHO RECEIVE JESUS INTO THEIR LIVES.

GOD IS PREPARING EVERY MAN, WOMAN & CHILD IN THIS WORLD

FOR SALVATION THRU HIS SON JESUS. THERE ARE MANY

ON-GOING MOMENTS FOR SALVATION THAT COME TO US - AN

OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE NOT HATE; TO FORGIVE NOT CONDEMN; TO

HOPE NOT FEAR; FOR JOY NOT GLOOM; TO LAUGH NOT CRY; TO

REJOICE NOT COMPLAIN; TO HELP NOT HINDER. MOMENTS FOR US

TO EXPRESS & SHARE OUR SALVATION NOT DAMNATION. GOD IS

PREPARING US BY ALL THE EXPERIENCES OF LIFE FOR SOMETHING

- SOMETHING GOOD & WONDERFUL - WORTHY THE NAME OF JESUS.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO REFUSE THE TASK WHEN IT COMES

& WHO NEVER EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY ARE REFUSING IT. SUCH

PATHOS, HE CAME TO HIS OWN HOME - HIS OWN PEOPLE DID NOT

WELCOME HIM. IT HAPPENED TO JESUS BORN IN A MANGER LONG

AGO - IT IS HAPPENING STILL TODAY!

WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES, AS CHRISTIANS, REFLECTING

THE LIGHT OF JESUS BIRTH & NOT BE CLOAKED IN THE DARKNESS

OF THE WORLD AROUND US. TO ALLOW THE LIGHT OF GOD TO

SHINE IN US & THROUGH US THOUGH THERE IS DARKNESS ALL

AROUND US - DO IT ANYWAY. WE HAVE RECEIVED POWER FROM

GOD TO BE GODS CHILDREN. WE CAN OFTEN BE CONFLICTED

WITH SIN, BE GODS CHILD ANYWAY!

DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF

LOVE & KINDNESS, IT IS UNREALISTIC TO THINK WE ARE GOING TO

ELIMINATE FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH DIVISIVE, RUDE, EVIL

PEOPLE. OUR ONLY CHOICE, UNLESS WE WANT TO GIVE IN OR GIVE

UP, IS TO GIVE LOVE & KINDNESS ANYWAY. YES, THIS IS AN

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IMPERFECT WORLD BUT THAT DOES NOT RELIEVE US OF OUR

RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE FOR & EXEMPLIFY THAT WHICH IS GOOD

& RIGHT - DO IT ANYWAY! SUCH IS THE MESSAGE OF THE

MANGER.