What in the world are we doing here?

Steve Brown:
What in the world are we doing here? The answer to that, on this edition of Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
This is Key Life, here to communicate the freeing truth that God’s not mad at his children. Steve invited our friend Jerry Parries to teach this week. Jerry is the pastor of Christian Family Worship Center House of Grace, and the author of Grace, The Real Good News of the Gospel.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. We’re getting closer, Jerry.

Jerry Parries: Yeah.

Steve Brown:
Have you gotten all your presents bought? No, I can tell it by the look on your face, neither me. You know my favorite service, in the entire year, and I’m known as the Scrooge, my favorite service is Christmas Eve.

Jerry Parries: Is it?

Steve Brown:
Yeah, because by then, if you haven’t done it, it’s too late.

Jerry Parries: It’s too late.

Steve Brown:
And so, you get to think about Jesus and him only.

Jerry Parries: Well, until your children wake up.

Steve Brown:
Yeah, that’s true. That’s Jerry Parries, and he’s one of the voices of Key Life. And this Christmas week, we’re looking at the purpose of Christmas. What it’s all about? If you’ve been with us, we talked on Monday about, It’s to introduce Jesus Christ and that it’s all about him. Then we saw yesterday to save people from their sin, that’s the gift, you’re forgiven. And today we’re going to talk about why we are doing here and how Christmas has, what Christmas has to do with our assignment.

Jerry Parries: Yeah.

Steve Brown:
Talk to us a little bit about that.

Jerry Parries: Yeah. We have an assignment during Christmas, that it’s not only about us, but it is about others. Christmas reminds us, that our assignment to the world is to introduce Jesus. He’s been introduced to us, we talked about that on Monday, but now we need to introduce him to others. And Christmas gives us that opportunity to do that. In Luke 4:16, Jesus said.

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 captive, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

Steve Brown:
That’s Jesus’ job description, and he’s giving it to us.

Jerry Parries: That’s exactly what I was getting ready to say, is that that is exactly the call that Jesus placed upon our lives, is that we are need to, in this season, this is the time that we minister to the, we do it all year, but we are reminded of the assignment during Christmas is that we should be preaching to the poor, giving them the good news about what Jesus is all about, and then healing the broken hearted people during this season who have lost loved ones. People who are experiencing it for the first time this year, someone not being there for them. It’s hard, and we who are believers ought to be sensitive and make sure that we are looking at the people around us, to make sure that they are being invited to the home of our homes and our places, so that we can heal the brokenhearted. God reminds us to do this.

Steve Brown:
You know, when I was a young pastor, I was invited to the mountains of Tennessee to a group of Presbyterian churches to do a week of services. And, I got the message while I was there that my father was dying.

Jerry Parries: Oh wow.

Steve Brown:
I had never had anybody close to me in my family die. So, that was a new experience to me. And I loved my father, and I broke down and started crying. And one of the pastors of those little churches, big old heavy came, must have weighed 300 pounds, hugged me and just enfolded me. And then said to me, son, use this, every time you’re speaking to 10 people, 7 of them have a broken heart.

Jerry Parries: Wow. Wow.

Steve Brown:
And I’ve thought about that. And in the world, that’s even more than that.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
You know, it’s 10 out of 10. And we need to remember that at Christmas.

Jerry Parries: Yeah.

Steve Brown:
We have the balm in Gilead. We have that which heals and that which fixes and the broken hearted world is the world to which we have been called.

Jerry Parries: And that’s our assignment. That’s really what God has given us to do is to to show that love and to show that caring to the brokenhearted and people that are going through. And you’d be surprised that your words of encouragement, you know, everybody that’s smiling is not happy. You know, that there’s some people that can use your love and that hug that you talked about. So, I would encourage you who are listening to look around, to look around your surrounding, you know some people who are having a tough time at this moment, you may want to go by and just say hello, just give them a hug, just let them know that you’re thinking about them in a call, because that’s what our assignment is to do. And Christmas reminds us that we need to do that.

Steve Brown:
And Christmas makes it possible.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
You know, you can’t love until you’ve been loved.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
And then you can only love to the degree to which you have been loved. You can’t forgive until you’ve been forgiven.

Jerry Parries: Yep.

Steve Brown:
And then you can only forgive to the degree. You know, I remember one time I was on a mission trip to Africa. And I have a tendency when somebody’s angry at me to be angry back. If you push me to push them back. For which I repent, I know that’s sin, but there was a lady that ran the mission house where we were and she was really harsh and critical and made me, and got me upset and I called her behind her back the Witch of Endor. And the head of the mission called me aside and said Steve, I just want you to know her heart is broken. She served on the mission field for over 30 years, and next week she’s going home. And she doesn’t know what to expect. The life she’s lived is coming to an end. The people she’s loved is coming to the end. So, be gentle and be kind. Boy, I’ve thought about that. And I’ve thought about that in a thousand different instances where we encounter Christmas is a time when people get angry easy.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
They’ve got so much on their plate. When you’re liable to be cut off in traffic. When a gesture may be made at you that makes you want to get back. But you’ve got to remember that we’re here for them.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
And they’re broken and they’re guilty and they’re afraid and they’re lonely and that’s why Jesus came.

Jerry Parries: Yeah. You know, and speaking of that, I remember one Christmas, my wife and I went to the store and you know, every year they have whatever the new Christmas toy is and you have kids and you will maybe be two on the shelves and people be fighting for that Christmas gift and you know, it’s just really a rat race out there, you know, and one year, my wife wanted to be a part of getting something for the kids, you know, because again, we get carried away in this, and not really what the season is all about. And they were fighting on a doll or whatever. And just let them have it, you know, because it’s not about that. It’s about the love and, and the healing. We have to be a part of the healing of the season and not be a part of the rat race of the season. That’s our assignment, that’s what God has called us to do. And that’s what you said, you know.

Steve Brown:
By the way, I’m not one that throws rocks. I realize that the vendors in our culture generally make their entire budget at Christmas.

Jerry Parries: Yes.

Steve Brown:
I mean, I understand that. I understand they’ve got to make a living. I understand that it’s hard and they’re working long hours and they’re tired. So, why if that’s our assignment, and you’re right about that, Jerry. If that’s our assignment, why don’t we start in the mall stores with the clerks who work there who are tired and lonely and are trying to make enough to get into the next year and say to them, I know this is a hard time for you, you know, I get to buy things for other people and you have to be here working overtime. That’s got to be really hard. I just want you to know I’m going to pray for you. I just want you to know that I know that’s hard for you. They won’t know what to say.

Jerry Parries: That would just be awesome. And I think as you’re saying that, I would like to challenge our listeners to think of five people in this season who you can go to and be a blessing to, just think of five people. And not necessarily money or giving them a gift, but give them the gift of prayer, call them and say, Hey, I’m thinking about you. You know, what is it that you need this Christmas, that I may be able to pray for you for? You know, and take five people of your surrounding and be a blessing to them.

Steve Brown:
And listen,

Jerry Parries: That’s our assignment.

Steve Brown:
and that’s good. But talk to God before you talk to them.

Jerry Parries: Yeah.

Steve Brown:
You know, you model that by the way. When you come into Key Life’s office and into my study, the sun comes out. I mean, I ask you how you’re doing, and you say, God is gracious, and he’s favorable to me. And then you hug me, and I kind of feel like, you know, I can get through this, all right, as long as Jerry shows up on occasion. People ought to say that about every Christian.

Jerry Parries: Absolutely, absolutely. The Bible says in Philippians 4 and 4.

Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice.

I tell people, it’s not saying rejoice at what’s happening. It is saying add joy to it, learn how to add joy to whatever the situation may be and watch God show up.

Steve Brown:
And that’s what Christmas is all about.

Jerry Parries: Yeah, absolutely.

Steve Brown:
Guys, we’re talking about what Christmas is all about. And this broadcast is to remind you of them. The reason you’re not in heaven now, the reason he didn’t take you home when he found you, is because he had a concern, and it was them, and that’s yours too. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve Brown and Jerry Parries. I trust you’re enjoying this special week of teaching here on Key Life, exploring the purpose of Christmas. And we will continue the study with Steve and Jerry tomorrow. Don’t miss it. So, Keylife.org as you may know, that is our website. But I want to point out two features on the website that perhaps you haven’t heard about. First, just below every article is a section called related resources. It’s a curated collection of articles and books related to the topic you were just reading about. It’s a fantastic way to dive even deeper into what interests you most. And check out the middle of the left hand menu and click on topics, that will help you find even more relevant articles. Career and retirement, assurance of salvation, forgiveness, it’s another way to easily find exactly what you’re looking for. And of course, all of our website content is still free, thanks to the generous support of listeners just like you. If you’d like to donate, just call 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. If you’d like to send your donation by mail, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Or e-mail [email protected] you can charge a gift on your credit card, or include a gift in your envelope. And of course, now you can give safely and securely simply by texting Key Life to 28950 and then following the instructions. Again, that’s Key Life, one word, two words. It doesn’t matter, text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.