Lessons from the Christmas Cantata

Tonight was the Christmas cantata at my home church, Liberty Baptist.  Our music pastor, Chas Singer, and our choir did amazingly as always.  As I sat there this evening, listening to the words they sang so beautifully, some things hit me.  I wanted to share some of those with you.

1.  Imagine being Mary and Joseph, lying in the stable looking the living, breathing Son of God right in the face.  Imagine the task of parenting a perfect child for the next 30 years!  (Most parents probably wouldn’t complain.)  He’d be courageous, relentless, and brave.  He’d love a world of sin.  Nothing we could do would keep us from the intimate love he would give.  He overcomes it all.  This is our God.  These are some of the ideas from the song, “This is Our God” that our choir shared tonight.  Remember that you serve a living Savior.  He came as a baby for you.  Even when you’re burned out, you have the knowledge of His unspeakable gift to you to drive you on.  That’s a crazy thought.  Here’s some of the highlights of the lyrics from this song:

Who is this child asleep in the manger?
Tender and mild, this intimate Stranger?
Recklessly, wildly loving a dangerous world
Who is this light invading our darkness…

This is our God, living and breathing
Call Him courageous, relentless, and brave
This is our God, loving and reaching…

Who is this One who will not condemn us?…
Nothing we’ve done will keep Him from giving us grace.
Who is this One we watch and we’re speechless?
God’s only Son embracing our weakness…

This is our God, love sacrificing,
All that is holy, accepting our cross…

Aren’t those powerful words?  You can pick it up from iTunes if you’d like to hear more of it.

2.  Last night, I was reading Romans chapter 8.  I came across verses 17 and 18, which read (NLT):

But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Those verses say it all.  You may be running on empty from all of the Christmas work that you’re involved in in your church and family.  Throughout your life, you may just get tired and feel like quitting.  You may lose your job.  You or a loved one may become extremely sick.  You can’t know the future.  Yet no matter how bad things get here, they can’t compare to the glory we’ll see in heaven.  They can’t compare to getting to worship at the feet of Christ.  The song the church choir sang this evening that inspired this section was All Rise, a great song by Babbie Mason.  Here’s the words of the chorus:

All Rise! All Rise!
Stand before the throne in the presence of the Holy One!
All Rise! All Rise!
As we worship the Messiah,
All Rise!

Remember, the reason you serve isn’t for praise and adoration here on earth.  Those are nice encouragers all of the time.  The real reason we serve is so we can stand shoulder-to-shoulder one day with the children we ministered to and face the throne of God, and rise up and worship.  Millions of believers from centuries past, all gathered together to worship in the glory and splendor of the King.  That’s why we serve.  That’s why we celebrate Christmas.  To be able to stand one day at the throne of the “Baby” Jesus and worship.  That’ll change your entire outlook.

I hope you’ve been encouraged.  Have a great Christmas with your families.  In the midst of presents and tradition, don’t forget the true meaning.  That’s the way I see it.