Last week we started a new series called, “The Night that Changed Everything.”  We’re looking at the significance of Christmas, a night that changed much more than most of us imagine.  We’ll see its impact on five segments of society:

  1. The Night That Changed the Religious
  2. The Night That Changed the Powerful
  3. The Night That Changed the Poor
  4. The Night That Changed You
  5. The Night That Changed the Wise

This week we’re looking at how it changed the powerful.

This one can be hard for us to see.  In Western culture, we’re used to thinking that those who celebrate Christmas are far from powerless.  They have long been the majority in Western countries, and the Christian church has been a dominant player in society.  Christmas is a visible sign of that power – it’s become a huge part of even secular culture, even if that version is stripped of its truth.

But what actually happened at Christmas was the birth of a baby boy – one of the most powerless things you can imagine.  Human babies are so helpless and vulnerable, not powerful except in the emotional control they exert without knowing.

As we saw last week, the baby named Jesus was identified early on as a king – given gifts from Magi, and so on.  But unlike Prince George, he wasn’t born in a private hospital with attendants and staff looking after it all.  He was born powerless, in a stable,  laid in a feedtrough.

And yet, he struck fear in the hearts of the powerful.  We’ll look at that story this week.

Question: What scares powerful people?

Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party.  Hope you’re coming!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - June 20, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - The Golden Rule

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV) Which way will you go? Follow the law to keep in a right position, watching what you do? People will try to tell you their way to please God, go to heaven, to be a good person, etc. Or will you go the hard way, relying on God’s grace alone? We can’t take anything with us through the narrow gate. Only a few make it through, it's true enough. Everyone can avoid hurting others. But can you love others? That's hard. Thankfully Jesus has gone ahead. He is the door. The way. He doesn't just avoid sin, he loves sacrificially, to the death. He uses death to destroy death. He uses self-love to teach us to love others. His power and genius! Others will tell you, “here’s what not to do, and do, to reach God.” Jesus says God reaches us…and he is the door, the gate, who lays down everything to love sacrificially. He gave us his love, rather than what we deserved, death. How? You start with God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. God helps us see ourselves clearly, destroys our self-centeredness, then teaches us to love others. Challenge: Make a list of the ways you like to be treated. Not just favourite flavours and colours, but what helps you relate well with people. Now consider, who will you see today, whom you do not treat in this way? Pick one of those list items, and change that today.

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