The Lord gave me this message this past Tuesday, while at a home school choir concert.
· I have to admit, the style of music that they sing is not what I normally listen to.
· Also, since Sis. Noel takes the kids to their weekly rehearsals, I didn’t know anyone there.
· And to top it off, there are only 4 Black homeschoolers in the choir and three of them had my last name.
So, needless to say, I felt kinda out of place, to say the least.
For whatever reason, I sat in the back of the church, even though there were other seats closer to the front. I regret this decision, with all of my heart.
· No, it’s not because I couldn’t see! (I could see)
· No, it’s not because I couldn’t hear! (I could hear0
· No, it’s not because the air was too cold or the heat too hot! (I was comfortable)
The reason I regret sitting on the back row is because of what I saw… because of what I heard…because of want I felt! You see, in front of me were 4 young people, who obvious didn’t go to the concert to see the concert.
· They didn’t go to hear the songs of Christmas!
· They didn’t go to sing the praises to our Messiah!
These young people went to see each other, and hear each other. One young man walked into the service… LATE… wearing cowboy boots…. with spurs. Every step he took gave forth that jangle of metal-against-metal, and like “Hee Haw”… “Here I is”
His friend was a portly fellow, about as wide as he was tall. His size didn’t bother me, but is mouth did. All throughout the concert, he had to make the little cowboy laugh. And his jokes and jesting were not subtle, but rather … in your face!
Next to him, sat the ‘weak and silent’ type. This aberration of manliness didn’t talk… too often. And, rarely did anything to draw attention to himself…other than wear his oversized ball hat… in the house of God.
Lastly, we have the blond-haired, blue eye beauty. Although I never saw her eyes, I did see her hair. She apparently was the testosterone magnet, compelling the young men around her to win her heart through their childishness.
As I sat there, I kicked myself for sitting in the back.
· It’s my fault. I chose to sit there!
· I could have sat closer to the front, and avoided the rudeness, toward God, God’s house and the God’s choir.
· I had no one to blame but …me!
I told God, right then, that I hope and pray that when He calls me home, that I’ll be in church somewhere. But, I told Him that I also hope and pray that He won’t find me in the back of any church!
· The back of the church is where people go who aren’t interested in what’s going on up front.
· The back of the church is where people go so they can do something other than focus on what’s going on up front.
· The back of the church is where people go so they can be as far away as possible from what’s going on up front.
Lord Jesus, please don’t find me in the back of nobody’s church!
And then, out of nowhere, wherever that may be, the Lord gave me this message.
You see, as the 4 Amigos, struck a negative nerve with me, the Lord asked me a question, “Is this concert worth the fuss?”
· The children had been practicing for months!
· Hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars had been invested in gowns, and tuxedos… lighting and sound….props and preparation.
· Parents had invested hours upon hours, making sure their children were at the Sunday…AND…Tuesday rehearsals!
But, was it worth the fuss?
· After all, the style of music isn’t exactly what I listen to!
· After all, I don’t know anyone there, except my family!
· After all, we are one of only two Black families in the building!
It might be easy to say, ‘No, it’s not worth the fuss,… that is until you heard the music.
Although the genre, the style, of music was different, …the focal point was familiar to me. The children, the pianist, the harpist, the flutist, the violinist the soloist, the ensembles, the congregation….ALL OF THEM…. Sang and play about … JESUS!
And they didn’t just sing words, the sang love!
· They sang about the marvel and wonder of the birth of Christ!
· They sang about the majesty and splendor of the person of Christ!
· They sang about the sheer greatness of the sacrificial love of Christ!
But, let me ask you a question: “Is Jesus worth the fuss of Christmas?”
That may sound like a rhetorical question. But, you see, to many people, ,,,Christians included, ,,,the worth of Christ has diminished.
· No longer is He worth loving with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind!
· No longer is He worth raising holy hands in praise and worship!
· No longer is He worth turning the other cheek and going the extra mile!
How do I know this? I’ve studied His followers.
Muslims terrorist will strap explosives on their bodies, …and the bodies of their children, … blowing themselves up in the name of Allah, and 72 virgins in paradise.
And yet, Christians won’t arm themselves with a few tracts and a New Testament, so they can witness in their neighborhood for Christ.
Mormons will put on their black pants and white shirts and grab their bike and go door to door, spreading the lies of Joseph Smith.
And yet, Christians are too lazy to come out to Sunday School and Prayer Meeting.
Jehovah Witnesses will face ridicule and shame, even to the point of being disowned by their own families.
And yet Christians have trouble remembering where their Bible is, let alone when the last time they read it.
Why is it ‘OK’ to make a fuss or politics,… and sports,…. and shopping,….but it’s not ‘OK’ to make a fuss of Jesus?
Maybe He’s just not worth the fuss! At least to some people!
But, it hasn’t always been this way. Back in the day….the day of the of Luke chapter 2, the angel of the Lord was dispatched from heaven to an open field just outside of Bethlehem. There he sought out, not the mayor, but a handful of shepherds.
Why? To tell them about something… no Someone, …who was worth making a fuss over.
The Bible tells us that the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night. They knew that the wolves and bears were near by, and that if their sheep were to make it through the night, they needed to stay alert and beware.
However, Church family, what they saw was like nothing they had seen before. An angel
appeared unto them and said that he was bringing them some good news.
· Not that all the wolves and bears became vegetarians!
· Not that the weather was going to be nice!
He told them that ‘unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!
Now, some folks might think that these shepherds were the wrong people to receive such a message:
· Maybe this message was really meant for the Pharisees
· Maybe this message was really meant for the Sadducees
· Maybe this message was really meant for the scribes
No, my friend. God makes no mistakes. The word that the angel delivered to the shepherds… was for the shepherds.
· Remember, these shepherds were protectors, just like Jesus!
· Remember, these shepherds were looked down upon, just like Jesus!
· Remember, these shepherds were responsible to feed the flock, just like Jesus!
But, it doesn’t stop there. The angel told these shepherds where they could find this Savior.
· Not in a fancy hotel!
· And, not in a warm, fluffy bed!
But in a manager. With animals keeping watch over Him. And wear else would you find the Lamb of God that taketh the way the sins of the world?
This tells me that the shepherds were supposed to look for. But, why bother? Why make a fuss over the birth of another child? It had happened a million times before.
But, … not like this.
· This child was born of a virgin, …who knew not a man!
· He was prophesied of thousands of year’s earlier,… by Isaiah, and other prophets.
· He was born sinless …and would die sinless, …although at his death, he would bear the sins of the world.
So, why the fuss? ………….. What fuss!!
· How can you say that seeking Jesus is a ‘fuss’?
· How can you say leaving what you’re doing in order to draw closer to the Son of God is a ‘fuss’?
· How can you find the time and energy and interest to do anything other than what the Word of the Lord tells you to do?
Yet and still, …we live in a world today, where people will paint their faces the color of their favorite sports team, …and travel from city to city attending their away games, ….and sit in blistering heat and freeze cold, …and in the name of in a true fan!
We live in a world where men and women will go door to door, asking you to vote for their candidate, ….go to rallies and scream and shout….stay up all night to watch the election results…all in the name of politics.
We live in a world were zealots will pray 5 times a day, and walk on their knees uphill on broken glass, and beat themselves with whips… all in the name of religion.
And….unfortunately, we live in a world where Christians…the blood-bought of Christ….
· have to be told to love one another!
· Have to be told to forgive one another!
· Have to be told to support one another!
And yet, this Christmas season, …
· Christians spend their tithes on Christmas gifts, yet none are labeled for Christ!
· Christians spend their time on carnal endeavors and world pursuits!
· Christians spend their talent on anything and everything but the things of the Lord!
After all, …
· we’re not under the Law, but under grace, so we sin & sin & sin… all in the name of Grace!
· After all, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there’s liberty, even the liberty to sin!
· After all, God wants me to have the desire of my heart, even if my heart doesn’t desire Him!
· I can’t lose my salvation. So, no matter what I do, I’ve still going to heaven.
So, why make a fuss over Jesus?
· Go ahead, make a fuss over sports!
· And, make a fuss over politics!
· And make a fuss of Christmas shopping.
Just don’t make a fuss of the Christ of Christmas… because He’s not worth the fuss.
Or is He!
You see, after the angel of the Lord announced the birth of Christ…. After He told the shepherd where to find this Savior…. The Scripture tells us He led a special concert. It wasn’t a home school concert… and there were no back rows to sit in. Everyone had a front row seat!
Verses 13-14 reads: “And suddenly there was with the angel… a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
· When the angels thought about Christ, …they couldn’t help but sing!
· When they thought about His Person, …they couldn’t help but shout!
· When they thought about His sacrifice, …they… who needed no redemption, praised God for those of us who do!
And this singing wasn’t like the singing we hear today.
· Today’s singing is focused more on the singer than the Savior!
· Today’s singing is about making money, not a joyful noise!
· Today’s singing is often sung by half-hearted Christians, living half-hearted lives.
· Today’s singing is only as loud as the music!
· Today’s singing STOPS when the music stops!
But that night… just outside of Bethlehem… those angels sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Although I wasn’t there, …Sis Wilson told me all about it. She said…
· The sky lit up, like it was high-noon!
· The earth shook with the vibration of their praise!
· The air moved with the force of angelic worship!
· The wolves and the bears stopped their nightly prowl… and gazed on in wonder!
· The sheep had perfect peace, having no fear of any predator or foe!
Why did this, and so much more happen? Because Jesus was worth the fuss!
You know, people tell me that the Bible says ‘come as you are’. It may say that, but I’ve never read it. What they’re really saying is, ‘I don’t want to get dressed up for Church.’ ‘I don’t want to look my best for Jesus.’
· Yet these same people will get dressed up for a job interview.
· These same people will get dressed up to go on a date!
· These same people will get dressed up to meet a celebrity or public official.
· But they… ‘come as they are’… for Jesus!
What they’re really saying is this… “Jesus ain’t worth the fuss!”
Back in the day, …people would wear their everyday clothes to church, because that’s all they had.
· But, they made sure it was clean!
· They made sure it was ironed!
· And, they made sure it surely WAS the very best they had!
WHY? Because they knew that Jesus deserves our very best!
Back in the day, …people used to open their mouths when they sang.
· People thought it was a privilege to sing for Jesus.
· It wasn’t about who gets to be in the front, or who gets to sing a solo this week. It was about lifting up the name of Jesus, regardless of where the spotlight would fall.
WHY because they knew that Jesus loves to hear our joyful noise!
Back in the day, preachers preached the unreachable riches of Christ.
· But before the preached, the pray… and prayed… prayed …for the Lord to give them a Word.
· Back then, preaching wasn’t about human personalities, it was about the Word of God going forth with POWER and AUTHORITY, and changing the lives of the listeners!
WHY? Because by the foolishness of preaching …people come to faith in the Lord!
Back in the day, there were no such phases as ‘Radically Saved’ or ‘Sold Out’. You see, …church family, …back then, when a person met Christ, their life was completely and eternally changed.
It is in this day …of half-hearted Christianity…half-hearted singing… half-hearted preaching…that man created such phrases… to explain what a real Christian looks like.
WHY? Because too many professing Christians don’t want to make a fuss over Jesus.
After all, is He really Worth the fuss?
· If you asked the innkeeper, …who didn’t have room for Mary and Joseph, …would he say Jesus is worth the fuss?
· If you asked Herod the king, … who sought to kill Christ, …would he say Jesus is worth the fuss?
· If you asked today’s Christmas shoppers… who are spending their tithes on gifts for everyone but Jesus, …would they say Jesus is worth the fuss?
· If you were to ask yourself, …would YOU say Jesus is worth the fuss?
As I close, I want to show you one more thing from Scripture. Something that PROVES beyond a shadow of a doubt that the shepherds knew Jesus was worth the fuss.
Look at verse 17. It reads, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”
You see, …I believe …that when your heart gets moved,… then whatever we do, ….wherever we go,…. whatever we say … is PROOF that it’s worth the fuss.
Remember, these shepherds …were shepherds. They made their living from the oversight of the sheep. Yet, when the angels appeared unto them and told they about the Christ child being born, they left the sheep, …their vocation, …and went to seek him out.
Not only that, …after they saw Jesus, verse 17 says they had to go and tell somebody else about Him.
You see, to the shepherds, … Jesus was worth the fuss!
· He was worth leaving the sheep!
· He was worth seeking out!
· He was worth telling the world about!
Anyone or anything of value… is worth sharing with someone else…Amen?
· So, ask yourself a question: “When was the last time you told someone about the Lord?
o Yesterday?
o Last week?
o Last Year?
o Ever?
Is Jesus worth the fuss? That, my friend, is the definition of a rhetorical question.
· If you were to ask the angels, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask the shepherds, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask the 3 wise men, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask Mary and Joseph, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask the 3 Hebrew children who were cast into the fiery furnace, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask the Apostle Paul he would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask that single mother, whose doing the best she can, she would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
· If you were to ask that husband and wife who strive to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, they would say, Jesus is worth the fuss!
But, you know what? The only thing that matters is how YOU would answer the question, ‘Is Jesus Worth The Fuss?’
Why? Because one day, …. Very soon…. You’re going to stand before this Christ that I preach today. You’ll see the wounds in His hands …and His feet …and His side….wounds gladly received for you and for me.
You’ll have the privilege look Him straight into His eyes, and tell Him …. Face-to-face, why He wasn’t worth your very best.
· Why He didn’t deserve all your heart, …all your soul…and all your mind!
· Why He seldom was spoken of by you!
· Why His tithe was spent at the mall…at the liquor stores…and on world pleasures!
· Why His prayer meetings, and Sunday School classes never saw you!
· Why His Word is never read!
· Why He wasn’t worth making a fuss over!
Anyone or anything that you love, is worth making a fuss over.
How much of a fuss have you made over Christ? Or, Is He Even Worth The Fuss?
