A mega church in Washington is having Santa photo ops and applying lessons from the movies this Christmas. Does anyone here know what Christmas is all about? Thankfully, Linus does...

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And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.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. - Luke 2: 8-14 (KJV)

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" This is the cry from Charlie Brown during the annual Peanuts Christmas special. This is the 49th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and ironically today the question posed by the title character may as well be asked inside churches across America this year. Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Sometimes the writings in these pages may seem too surreal. When I write about Star Wars reproductions for a Resurrection Sunday service it should serve as a wakeup call. A call to take a look around where you call church home. Do they understand that a Savior has been born to us? Let's take a quick trip up to Yakima Washington and MorningStar Church. It is a mega church meeting in two locations. Your typical hipster relevance church, filled with seeker friendly theology and purpose driven marketing. Here is the actual text from the advertisement for their new sermon series this Christmas season:

"Join us this weekend as we kick off our new series, Christmas At The Movies. If you've never been to church this would be a perfect time! We will be watching a movie and seeing how to apply it to our life. Don't miss this weekend. Ohh and one more thing, Santa will be at both locations to take pics with your kids 1 hour before all of our services."

This is spiritually criminal on so many levels. That you would take the arrival of our Lord and Savior and cheapen it down to this level. That you would waste the opportunity to preach about the birth of Jesus to watch a movie! To make matters worse; to then mock the Word of God by instead applying the lessons of the movie to our lives? Santa at both locations? Can we make Satan's job any easier? Seriously? This is not even seeker friendly anymore. It is nothing more than a carnal disregard for the person of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for humanity. Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Thankfully the answer is yes. 49 years ago and every year since, Linus has told Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. He has preached the true meaning of Christmas even if it has escapes many preachers today. The challenge this season for anyone who fancies himself a pastor or a preacher is to preach with the boldness of Linus. If you need help remembering, what Linus preached are the key verses today, taken from the Gospel of Luke. Linus was a King James Version preacher. Let's take a look at what he was preaching 49 years ago and what we ought to be preaching still today.

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock. The analogy of shepherds is used through the entire Bible. Why were the shepherds chosen to be the first to hear of this great news? The Pulpit Commentary takes on this question by reminding us that God has a different order for mankind than we would abide by. Those who are last will be first. Those that are humble will be exalted. There was no lower trade in these days than that of a shepherd. The Talmud reveals that they were not even allowed in courts as witnesses. So what better people to be the first witnesses of our Lord? I also would be remiss here to not point out the role of the shepherd is to abide in the field and watch over the flock. This is the proper role for pastors beloved. Not to be rock stars in learjets and limousines. Andy Stanley once said the word shepherd should be done away with because it is not "culturally relevant" anymore. Besides revealing that Andy Stanley should not be a pastor, that statement reveals the dire need for real shepherds today to minister in the fields to the flock of God.

Lo and angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were what? Were they so stoked that they wrote a book about seeing the presence of God? Did they make a movie about being taken up to the third heaven? No beloved, they were sore afraid. It is time this Christmas season to bring back a healthy fear of the Lord. The Bible says that it is the beginning of wisdom. How is it that a mega church pastor thinks nothing of promoting movies at Christmastime for life applications instead of the Word of God? How can he not even blink when making sure someone dressed up as Santa is at all of his services? He either does not know the Lord or at best, he has no fear of Him. He has no fear that he will one day stand before Him and answer for the movies he ran instead preaching the Gospel. The people he entertained with the glitter of this world instead of showing them the light of Jesus Christ. You have people across Christendom making a mockery of God, His presence, and His Word. Pastors every week pretending God speaks to them directly and audibly. Like He is on their speed dial. People like Kat Kerr who claims to have visited heaven over 30 times. David Taylor who claims Jesus has appeared to him face to face over 1000 times. Worship leader Kim Walker Smith who personally testifies about a demonic visitation but she thinks she went to the throne room of God and met the Father face to face. It never ends, but it needs to.

Fear not! For I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people! Oh beloved we throw around the phrase good news so frivolously. We do not pause and consider how surpassingly great this news is! Movies? You can keep your movies! I want to hear more about this babe lying in swaddling clothes who is going to change the course of all mankind! Give me that! Celebrate that! Preach that! Not only is it good tidings but it is of great joy! Not happiness because worldly happiness is fleeting. Here one minute and gone the next. It is conditional. I will be happy as long as this or that. But once things don't go our way, there goes our happiness right out the window. Jesus does not bring us happiness beloved. He brings us joy. That is a permanent condition not a temporary position. Hallelujah! Not only is it good tidings of great joy but it will be for all people! Everyone is included! Everyone is invited! No one is left out. We may try to leave them out because we give into the hate this world propagates but Jesus is always about love. Not the diabetic love the world tries to sell us from the pulpits each Sunday but real love. Love the hangs on a cross for something He did not do. Love that allows a crown of thorns to be shoved into his brow and a spear to be thrust into His side for me. Tell me about the love found on the Via Dolorosa. You can keep that fake love. The one that comes adorned with the baubles of this world. That love does not last because it is not real. Calvary love however; that is eternal.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. So we come to the reason why pastors and preachers today do not have the boldness of Linus. Make no mistake about it. It is this verse right here. There are two words in this one verse that are anathema for the seeker-friendly, purpose driven pastoralship. Those words are Savior and Lord. Let us deal with them one at a time.

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. - 1John 4: 14 (ESV)

Jesus Christ is not your cool friend that you can hang out with. He is not your business partner or your advisor. He is not your co-pilot. He is not your betrothed or your lover either. When we look at all the lies of the devil the church has swallowed it is disheartening at best. Beloved, Jesus Christ is our Savior. Why is that word shunned in the "Friend of God" theological circles? Because it inherently implies that we need to be saved! That is deemed most seeker unfriendly. Too bad! We need saving desperately. We are slaves in this world. We are enslaved to Satan the lord of this world. We are enslaved to sin. We are shackled to it. We are yoked to it. A yoke is a piece of farming equipment that joins two head of oxen together with a heavy wooden slab. It forces the two to work together in the farming of the land. Before Jesus came to earth, we were yoked to this world. Now we can take His yoke instead:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11: 28-30 (ESV)

It does not start with singing Friend of God. It does not start with singing about how much God loves us. It starts with an angel telling a shepherd that unto all of us - a Savior is born! I would venture to say a very hard lesson here - unless your journey into Christianity came as a result of realizing that you needed to be saved; I am doubtful if you are saved at all. It is not about "inviting Jesus into your heart." It is about turning your heart over to Him. That brings us to the second word here and that is "Lord."

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? - Luke 6: 46 (ESV)

Here is where the rubber meets the road. The problem with seeker friendly, purpose driven theology is that it makes Christianity all about you. It is about what God can do for you. It is about how much God loves you. It is about how special you are. It is about what your purpose is. This is a problem of course because the Bible is actually about Jesus. It is not about us. And in this relationship, Jesus is supposed to be our Lord. The Bible dictionary definition of Lord is someone who is the Master, having dominion over His subjects. This is also why we call God our King. Why Jesus is the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. These are not meant to be trite little sayings. They are to denote who He is in relation to who we are. He is Christ the Lord. As such we are supposed to give Him control of our lives. We are subject to Him. That is certainly not a sugar coated message for the unsaved but it is what they need to hear. The problem within purpose driven philosophy is it believes it is more important to make sure people come to church than it is for them to come to Christ. If we are not going to do as He says, then we should stop insulting Him by calling Him Lord. Stick with "friend' but realize this. Abraham was called a friend of God but not until He was his Lord first. Not until he was willing to pick up and leave everything behind to go to a land God told him to go to. Not until he was willing to take a knife to the throat of his only child. If we are going to sing about being friends with God we ought to preach about how to get there. We ought to preach about a manger. We ought to preach about how the shepherds were sore afraid because of the glory of God that surrounded them. Forget your Santa and movies scheme. I want to hear more about the glory of God.

And this shall be the sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. The birth of the King and you can find him in a manger. A place where animals are usually found. There was no room for Him at the inn. The world never has room for Jesus. Do not look for Him in majestic robes and fine linens. Do not look for Him in fancy rooms with posh accoutrements. Even when Isaiah prophesied about Him it was not about the things we value on this temporal coil:

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted withgrief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. - Isaiah 53: 1-3 (ESV)

We esteemed him not. We are to come to Christ out of our desperate need for a Savior. Not because He attracts us with any of the trappings of this world. No, you will not find this King of Glory in the penthouse suite. You will find Him lying in a manger. Thank God for that.

As Linus concludes the reading from Luke we see a picture play out before us that we should scarce be able to take in. 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. Here is a portion from Gill's Exposition of the Bible to illuminate:

multitude, for the angels are innumerable; there are thousands, ten thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand of them: it may be rendered "the multitude", and may intend the whole company of angels, who were all of them together to sing the praises of God, and glorify him at the birth of the incarnate Saviour, as well as to adore him; since it is said, "when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him", Hebrews 1:6, and these were

Can we take this scene in? Ten thousand times ten thousand! The multitude! All of heaven singing praises to God! That is the proper scope of the event that takes place in the city of David. This is why we stop every December to remember. It was the defining moment in human history. So defining that the multitude of the heavenly host all came down to praise God for what He had just done. To reconcile back to Him His creation. The culmination of His plan spanning the entire Old Testament. Lying in the manger with the cross still ahead of Him is the Savior of the entire world and you want to preach about what life applications there might be in "It's a Wonderful Life?" Oh, but only after I get my kids picture taken sitting in Santa's lap? Talk about missing the forest for the trees! How pathetically sad.

Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about anymore? Anyone know that it is about giving all glory to God for bringing peace to an earth that had none? That man was heading towards an eternity separated from the God who created Him but no more! Now there is good will towards men! Good will! Good News! Unto us all a Savior is born! Hallelujah! Forget the movies and the gimmicks. Give me the Savior my sin sick soul needs. Give me abiding shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. Give me a healthy fear of the Lord that I might correctly fear if His glory shines all about me. Give me good tidings of great joy, which is for all people. Permanent joy as opposed to fleeting happiness. Give me a Savior in the city of David! Wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. I need Him! Give me the awesome spectacle of tens of thousands times tens of thousands all giving praise to God for bringing peace back to earth and extending His good will again toward men. Give me that! You can keep your schemes and marketing ploys. You can keep your fancy speeches and slick giveaways. Just give me the Gospel and it will be a very merry Christmas indeed. You do not need advanced degrees or public speaking classes. You just need the boldness of Linus.

Reverend Anthony Wade - December 11, 2014

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.