ADDITIONAL CHRISTMAS #1

Theme: Additional Christmas: From the Trad to the rad to the AD
Topic: The Class of the Church Millennia

FROM THE TRAD

TRADITION!

PSALM 77 [WHOLE THING]
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

TO THE RAD

Acts 17: 6

6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

TO THE AD

"In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ”

Isaiah 61:1-2/Luke 4:16-21

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

THE CLASS OF THE CHURCH

So often we hear the complaints. We hear the “the church should do this” or “The church should do that” but what do we know about what the church has actually done?

• Preservation of literacy in Europe after the fall of the roman empire
• Europe was united by the church in place of the Roman Empire
• The calendar Is measured from Christ’s birth
• The church was key to healthcare, schooling and childcare wherever it existed.
• Christianity has some of the greatest art ever produced
• the Bible is one of the most important sources of the concept of human rights
• The church was at the heart of ending human sacrifice, infanticide, polygamy and slavery
• Francis Collins mapped the human genome!
• 65.4% of Nobel prize winners are Christian.
• Women’s right to vote was first passed in NZ. The “Woman's Christian Temperance Union” is widely acknowledged as the main force that lead to this passing. Interestingly, my great, great, great, great grandfather was a politician in the governing party that passed the bill.
• Human’s lives being of equal value is a Christian idea. It started with the church and found its way into government - The Sanctity of human life by H.Kuhse
• "Christians were the first people in history to oppose slavery systematically.” - Historian Glenn Sunshine
• Early Christians purchased slaves in the markets simply to set them free. Later, in the seventh century, the Franks..., under the influence of its Christian queen, Bathilde, became the first kingdom in history to begin the process of outlawing slavery. ...In the 1200s, Thomas Aquinas declared slavery a sin. When the African slave trade began in the 1400s, it was condemned numerous times by the church.
• Science has its roots in Christianity
• Gregor Mendel (pioneer in the study of genetics
• Roger Bacon (significant contributor to The scientific method)
• Georges Lemaître (Big bang theory)
• Sir Issac Newton (Gravity)
• Historians note that prior to Christianity, the ancient world left little trace of any organized charitable effort. Christian charity and the practice of feeding and clothing the poor, visiting prisoners, supporting widows and orphan children has had sweeping impact.
• Hospitals are a Christian invention. There’s a lot of history to that, but it’s indeed the case.

Charity

1. United Way - the biggest charity in the USA was setup as a unification of christian and jewish charitable efforts.

2. Feeding America - The second largest charity setup by John van Hengel based on His christian faith.

3. Salvation Army - The Third Biggest, If you didn’t realize Salvation Army was christian….

4. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Again… Quite obviously christian

5. Habitat for Humanity International - Still openly declare themselves to be christian

6. YMCA - Guess what the C in YMCA stands for.

7. Compassion International - Antoher Christian charity

8. Boys and girls clubs of America - First Non-christian group on the list.

9. Goodwill industries was started as a christian ministry by Edgar J. Helms in 1902

10. Americares - Another Christian founded non-profit.

These are the TOP 10. IT doesn’t even include recognizable names like World Vision, Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, etc.

BILLIONS given every single year in care. Billions. THIS IS CHRIST’S WORK.

Christ’s wonder, worship, word, will, ways, works and wisdom

Isaiah 8

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.

Counted worthy to SUFFER.

Acts 5:40-42

when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ

Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

BID. PRO CHURCH. PRO JESUS. DO NOT FEAR.

I have more to lose than ever. Am I ready to give it all up?