CERRO
GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
December 19,
2021
GOD’S LOVE HAS COME!
Luke 2:8-14
God’s love
story for His people is about to come to pass as we get closer to the
celebration of Christmas. Let us not be confused by what I am saying to mean
God did not love his creation before. God has always loved His people beginning
with Adam and Eve and continuing through everything that happened in the Old
Testament. The thing God has always wanted is to have a vibrant relationship
with His people. However, when sin entered in at the Garden of Eden, that love
relationship became difficult. Too often Satan has deceived God’s people and
made the relationship with God hard. God cannot stand defiant disobedience,
just like most parents will not tolerate that attitude with their children. God
chose to make a way His people could get right with him once and for all.
That new
plan began in a manger over 2000 years ago. God changed everything that day. A
Savior came to earth in the most unsuspecting way. As we have talked about
before, the Savior was not born to a powerful earthly king. Instead, Jesus was
born to an average woman in the most usual way. Jesus was not even born in a
house or inn. He was born amidst God’s creation in a manger. His earthly dad
was also just an ordinary man who worked with his hands to provide for his wife
and baby. We also see the first to hear the news were not the powerful leaders
of the town but working people, shepherds. The announcement to those lucky few
was pretty impressive though. First, an angel appeared to the shepherds. Then a
heavenly choir miraculously appeared out of nowhere to make the announcement of
what had just happened. Can you picture what a moment that was? For Mary and
Joseph to have such an incredible way Jesus was welcomed to the world. They
both knew Jesus was not an average baby but was sent by God to do something
special. But who could have imagined that the most unlikely men would be sent
to confirm to Mary and Joseph what was soon going to happen?
Jesus came
to earth to accomplish a couple of things. The most life changing was to show
God’s love to His people in the most unusual way. Jesus came to earth to do
what we could not do for ourselves--to destroy the effects of sin once and for
all. God’s love came to earth in the most unusual way and then was fulfilled in
the most unlikely of ways as well. 1 John 4:10-12 says “This is love; not that
we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us.” This is the message of Christmas. God loves us.
God’s love has come and we can show we belong to God and he belongs to us if we
share that love with one another. That is why the tradition of gift giving at
Christmas began. God gave us the most perfect gift he ever could—the gift of
eternal life and love. Now it is up to us. This Christmas may we find new ways
to share God’s love with those around us. That is the legacy our Heavenly
Father has given us. Enjoy this next week and may God help each of us
experience his love in a new and fresh way and then may we pass it on to
others.
God bless you!
Merry
Christmas!
Pastor Larry
Announcements:
Bible Study 9:30 Tuesday—studying Hebrews
Poinsettias are $11. If you ordered one, please pay
Shirley W.
Advent Offering envelopes are in the back.
December 22 7:00 Christmas Service here; we plan to have it on
facebook live as well. We’ll finish the service with communion and candlelight.
December 25 Christmas Day—Have a blessed day!
Offering plates are in the back of the sanctuary. Thank
you!
Donation Box: The Lord’s Storehouse
First Sundays: food donations for food banks
Pastor Larry Traxler- (217) 454-2362
To
keep up on Church of the Brethren news:
Denomination: www.brethren.org/news Sign
up for Newsline by clicking link on left side of page.
District:
iwdcob.org (click on newsletter link) and on facebook
Our
pages: cerrogordocob.com (printed sermon, announcements, &
calendar) and on facebook
Keep
in Your Prayers
Larry & Luana
Cripe; Tina Wilhelm; Devon Wright; Dan & Val Rokosch; Shirley Krall; Baby
Gemma; Baby Tate; Maralyn & Galen Heckman; Bryce Ashenfelter; Andy Flenner
and family; Mindy Sawyer; Marlene Schultz; Randy West; Jen Durst; Sarah
Rudelick; Sydney (Nancy Gorrell’s niece); Carl and Wilma Cable; Marge Starr; Mike
Gentry; Larry Albro; Mike McCleery; Mike and Carol Seidenstricker; Sonna Hall; Brittany
Wright; Anna Gentry Thompson; Clyde and Nancy Fansler; Adiline Young; Kim
Lehmann; Doug Fansler; Liza Yore;
Candy Dobson; Anna Rose Larrick; Shawn Cain; Robert Cripe; Mayo & Darlene
Hanaver; Zola Copeland; Patty Cripe; Lauren Gross; Stacie Warren; Nancy
Gorrell; many unspoken requests; Coronavirus crisis; healthcare workers and
first responders; the families of the 800,000+ people who have died from
COVID-19; those who are ill from the virus; the unemployed; school teachers,
staff, and students; victims of disasters; victims of shootings; nursing home
residents; the Nigerian church; Haitian Brethren
Military and Other
Services and their families
Brethren Volunteer
Service workers; Disaster project workers
Church
of the Brethren vision statement:
Together, as the Church of the Brethren, we will passionately
live and share the radical transformation and holistic peace of Jesus Christ
through relationship-based neighborhood engagement. To move us forward, we will
develop a culture of calling and equipping disciples who are innovative,
adaptable, and fearless.
Our
Mission Statement:
Love
God, grow with others, serve faithfully, reach the lost, find peace.
