Wednesday After Christmas, 12/27/00

Luke 2: 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." --NIV

In the name of the One Who is the Good News, amen.

I live in an area with a lot of gated communities. In fact, I presently live in a gated community. The gate opens automatically as you approach it though. But at the far end of my community is another community with a gate that only opens if you have an opener in your car. Those people have to pass through our community before they get to their own.

I admit that I don't completely understand the idea of gated communities. I guess for some people it is for safety reasons. For others it makes them feel special; they are exclusive. Sometimes in our churches we want to be exclusive out of a sense of, "We're better than them." But Christ Jesus came for all people. He came for the boy and girl who are having sex outside of marriage. He came for the homosexual, the liar, and the thief. Jesus came for the crooked businessman, the town drunk, and the child molester. That's good though, because if we started throwing out people that have committed this sin or that sin, pretty soon no one would be left in the Church. So, the gate of the Church will open for anyone who approaches it. That is not to say that they will have all the rights and privileges immediately, but the Church welcomes all people.

However, inside the gate of the Church is another gate. It opens to a very exclusive community in which only certain people can go. And that gate opens for those people because they have faith in Jesus Christ. That exclusive community of course is heaven. You have to go through the Church in order to get to heaven. Christ Jesus wants everyone to be in heaven. So now, while we live in the Church, let's make sure that we open our gates to all people. Let's open our doors so that they can hear God's word and faith can be created in their hearts. After all, we are among the people who didn't belong in heaven, but through the Church we have received the faith we need in order to one day pass into heaven. Amen.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, in Your mercy You came to save all people. Help us to think like you do and reach out to all people. At the same time keep us from giving the impression that sin is OK. Rather, help us to use the tools you have given to cure sin and give eternal life, amen.

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