Isaiah 12:2-6

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid." One day a man was climbing in the mountains and he slipped. He slid down the side of the mountain and over a cliff. At the last minute he grabbed hold of a sapling growing out of the side of the cliff. He held on with all of his strength but could not find a way to climb either up or down to safety. He had never been a religious man but in desperation he called out "God, if you are up there, help me!" To his surprise a voice boomed out of the sky, "My child, let go." After a few moments the man called out again, "Is there anyone else up there?"

It's had to trust. To rely on someone or something else is difficult. And to rely on something that is unseen is even more difficult.

We would rather put our trust in something that we have control over, we would rather trust people and things that we have seen work in the past. But trusting an unseen God and follow command that see, counter intuitive to our experience is hardest of all. We could trust a team of mountaineers or a helicopter or even and angel to save us from the side of a cliff. But letting go doesn't make sense to us. Letting go takes trust.

Isaiah would know what I mean. In his day, Israel faced invasion from the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians had conquered kingdom after kingdom. Now they had Israel in their sites. It seemed inevitable just a matter of time before they conquered Israel too.

But there was another player on the stage: Egypt. Some said that they should form an alliance with Egypt to protect them. Such alliance had worked for others. Egypt was strong and they had a vested interest in keeping the Assyrians from advancing in their direction. Egypt could use its vast recourses and large armies to scare off or fend off the Assyrians. So the conventional wisdom was to trust in an alliance with Egypt.

But God had said that Egypt was a cane that would splinter if Israel leaned on it. They should put their trust in the Lord. The Lord would protect them. The Lord would care for them. They just needed to let go of their reliance on alliances with powerful armies and trust the unseen God.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid." But that is easier said than done. People would rather trust in more conventional things. They would rather trust in the word of experts. They would rather trust in doctors and lawyers and politicians. They would rather trust what four out of five Dentists surveyed said. As a nation we would rather trust in military might and governmental policies.

We face all kinds of troubles in our lives. There are many things that cause us to fear. Health concerns, security concerns, economic concerns, personal concerns. How will we face these things?

The answer is still the same: trust. Trust in the Lord. He is our salvation. If we will but trust in him then he will save us. We can say with Isaiah, "I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation."

But that's the root of it all: Salvation. The human race was like ancient Israel. Surrounded by death on one side and sin on the other. Could we make an alliance with one side to cheat the other? Or would we fall to both?

The human race is dangling over a precipice. And God says, "Trust me. Let go." Isaiah gave the promise from God. He will send a savior born of a virgin. He would be a wonderful counselor and Prince of Peace and Everlasting God.

But God's way doesn't follow any of the conventions we are used to. God's Savior did not come in power and might. He came as a helpless baby boy already the victim of a tyrannical king. He didn't conquer like any of the heroes in our movies or TV shows with blazing guns and fists or feats of intellectual aptitude. Instead he conquered by being humiliated and beaten and tortured to death.

The bottom line is that's what God calls us to trust in. What do you trust in? Don't take my world for it. Listen to God's prophet Isaiah. "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."

Draw from the deep well of God's salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Let go of what you are holding onto. Let go of your preconceived notions of power and might. Let go of your trust in yourself and the things you can see and hold.

Let go and fall into the invisible hands of God. Then you can praise God for his salvation. You will see that God is your salvation and that you do not need to fear.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Do you remember what Christmas was like when you were a child? I remember Christmas morning. After a fitful night's sleep I would wake early in the morning. Usually it was my sister, the night owl, who would wake me around 4 or 5 and we would just stare at the pile of presents under the tree. My parent learned quickly to tell us ahead of time not to wake them until 6. We would sit there on the living room sofa staring at the gifts under the tree with the lights and ornaments. We'd take stock of what was there and wonder at want the wrapped boxes contained. Then when the appointed hour came we would open the presents followed by a family breakfast.

But of course the Christmas morning present frenzy was just the icing on the cake. At an early age I can remember the story of Jesus' birth being an important part of the celebration. I remember dressing up for Christmas pageants. I usually volunteered to be one of the kings. Sometimes I would get to sing a verse of "We Three Kings" as a solo. And we would also attend a Christmas Eve service. Often I was in the choir for the service. The candle light, the communion, the story of God coming in the flesh as an infant and being laid in a manger; the wonder of it all is what I remember.

But sometimes I forget. I get all caught up in the business of being a father and husband and son and pastor and�. I become so busy doing Christmas that I forget to remember. I forget to remember the awe of a child who holding a tin box and wearing an aluminum foil crown and singing "Gold I bring to crown him." I forget the candlelight and the communion and the testimony of God come in the flesh. I forget the salvation of God come into the world to the singing of angels and the light of a star!

There were times in Israel's history when they forgot the great salvation of God. God had brought them out of slavery with a mighty hand. God even parted the Red Sea and drown the Egyptian army. But they forgot and worshipped a golden calf. God led them through the desert and gave them manna from heaven. But when they forgot that power and failed to enter the Promised Land. A generation later they once again forgot the power of God and when they did enter they did not possess the land as God commanded. And for hundreds of years they would from time to time forget and begin worshipping the gods of the Canaanites.

Zephaniah lived in one of those times when God's people had forgotten. Bible Scholars are not sure exactly when Zephaniah wrote these words. It was one of those countless times when Israel had forgotten and abandoned their allegiance to God. As a result they inevitably ended up in bad circumstances. Zephaniah obviously believed that they are under some kind of judgment.

But Zephaniah is proclaiming that they have been forgiven. They have been redeemed out of the hand of the enemy. God has taken away his judgment. God has turned back the enemy! God has saved Israel!

But it all started when they forgot. They forgot their savior. They forgot and fell into the ways of the world around them. Now I forget things all the time. To help me remember I write things down; especially appointments. And I check back with my calendar and "to do" list to see if I've forgotten something.

I also retrace my steps. If I forget where something is I look for it by remembering where I have been. Then I have an idea of the places to look. Where do I remember seeing it last and where was it? It must have gotten lost somewhere between here and there.

I also use little rhymes, sayings, and songs to help me remember things. When I was little I couldn't remember which was my right hand and which was my left. My sister taught me a little saying: "The right hand is the one you write with and the left hand is the one that's left over." I still have to use it sometimes or I wouldn't be able to tell my right from my left.

Now what was the point of all this? Oh, yes, it's written right here. "Perhaps we should do the same to remember the joy of Christmas." It's all written down: the star, the shepherds, the wise men, the baby in the manger. First we should take the time to refresh our memories about the story.

And we should retrace our steps. Where did you last see the joy of Christmas? If we work our way back to that point maybe we can find where we have lost it.

And then there are the rhymes that help us remember the Joy. Remember the poems and songs that remind us of Christmas. Recall those words. "Silent night, Holy Night" "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" "Gold I bring to crown him again"

The prophet Zephaniah said "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!" We should take his advice. We too have been redeemed just as Israel was back them, and we too are in danger so forgetting that wonderful act of God's grace. We may end up worshipping the things of this world and facing judgment.

Sing aloud this Christmas! Recall the Joy of Christmas in song. Remember the story of what God has done! Sing of the salvation of God brought to us through Christ. Praise God with songs of angels and shepherds and kings. Speak out loud of how God has redeemed us from slavery to sin and death.

And remember! Remember the wonder and awe of Christmas. Remember songs of peace on earth and good will to all. Remember the joy of Christmas.

Too many people have forgotten. Like the children of Israel who forgot the power of God, many in our world have forgotten. They need us to sing aloud; to sing of God's great acts of salvation. Sing aloud this Christmas and remember the Joy!

Luke 3:7-18

Back when Tiberius was president and Pilot was the governor. In the old days when Annais and Ciphas were bishops. The Lord got a holt of Zeak's boy John. So John when down to the river ta preach God's word. And people from all over the county and the neighboring counties would come out to hear him. And John would give them some of that old time religion. You know: "Repent! and be saved." And folks would have a regular camp meeting.

When things got going that's when he would really let the folks have it. He would say, "You Sons of snakes." Who told you that you were in trouble? You're so high and mighty. Show us that you really mean what you say."

"Now don't go saying, 'Oh, I've been a member of First Church all my life.' Or, 'I am a charter member of the Avenue Church.' I tell you God could make charter members out of these rocks here. Repent! I mean it! Because God is coming to prune the tree and burn all the dead branches."

Now after these revival services people would ask John questions. They would say, "What should we do?" He would say, "Give the things you don't need to those who need it. It don't take much. You don't need two coats. You can only wear one at a time. Give the other one to a person who don't have any. And if you have more food than you need, do the same.

Even gang members, drug dealers, and extortionists would come to him. Like everyone else they would ask, "What should we do?" He would say, "Live honestly and don't cheat people. Just stop killing people in meaningless gang wars and with drugs. Just stop what you are doing and live right."

Folks began to wonder about John. Could he be the Messiah? But John would say, "You may think I am something with all these people coming out to see me and be baptized. But I am nothing. The one God is sending after me is greater than me. And he will give all believers his holy power. And the unbelievers will be burned up like sawdust.

That's what John useta say.

You offspring of a Rattler. You know I wouldn't talk to you like that. But John the Baptist would. When people came out to him he called them all, church people included, a brood of vipers; daughters and sons of snakes. I imagine he would talk the same to us today. That means all of us, myself included.

You see John's basic message was, "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Now "repent" doesn't mean to just feel sorry for something. That's what we usually think when we hear "repent." That's the beginning but that's not the better part of it. A way to understand "repent" is to look at its opposite which is "pervert." To pervert something is to take something good and use it for evil. We have all seen perversions and they make us angry because they are so unjust. For instance a mother killing her children. That was a perversion of motherhood. Mothers are supposed to protect her children not kill them. Pervert means to use something good in evil ways, but repent means to change something evil into something good. "Repent" literally means to change ones frame of mind. The word for "repent" in the Bible is metanoeo. Meta means change, and noeo means mind. It is closely related to metamorpho, and change of form from which we get the word "metamorphosis" like what happens to a butterfly. So the kind of change John is calling for is a radical change. He was saying change your souls in the same way that a caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

Now John preached his message of repentance to the sinners. And everyone knows that gangsters and criminals need to change their lifestyle in a radical way. But John preached repentance to religious people too. People like you and me. He preached it to church folk because too often we think we don't need to change.

If you don't think that church people need to repent and change, just look at some church people. Church people can be some of the most prideful and arrogant people. They can be some of the most spiteful and unforgiving people. If having an unforgiving spirit is a sin then church folk are on the 10 most wanted sinners list. Church people have taken hate and prejudice and raised it to an art form. No wonder John called us snakes, some of us bite and that bite has venom.

So through John the Baptist God is telling us to repent. So what should we do? It's simple, just stop it. Stop living the way you are and start living God's way. Stop killing, stop cheating, stop hating, stop stealing, and start loving, caring, healing, showing mercy, and loving justice.

Is that too simplistic? But that is what John told the tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and religious people. But what about people who have been trained all their life to cheat and steal? What about those who have been taught by the mass media to look at the opposite gender and nothing more than sexual objects? What about those who have been brought up to hate those of other races or religions and to call them denigrating names? What about those whose minds and souls have been possessed and altered by chemical substances? What about those who were always told to be self reliant and now find it difficult to trust God? What about those who have sin so deeply ingrained in them that it is part of who they are?

Can such people change a lifetime of learning and turn in another direction in one moment. No, they can't. Jesus said that with humans such things are impossible, but with God all things are possible.

John, God's prophet says, "Repent" turn from your wicked ways. But we can't do it alone, we need God's help. You and I don't have the ability to change a lifetime of learned sinfulness. But God has given us the ability to decide to do right this moment. And if we decided out of faithfulness to God to do the right thing this moment God will honor that and give us more strength for the next moment, but we must choose to use it. So we can decide not to steal, today. Not to hate, for today, Not to drink, today. Not to call others by derogatory racial terms, today. Not to think of others as objects of lust, today. Don't emotionally or physically abuse your spouse or child or parent or sibling today. We can decide instead to love, help, care for, and respect all God's children, today.

But what about tomorrow? We don't need to worry about that. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow. There are enough worries for today. So don't concern yourself with what you shall wear, or what you should eat or how you will be faithful tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself, the concerns of today are enough. Jesus will give us strength for the day and we should let him worry about tomorrow.

That is why he taught his disciples to pray, "give us this day our daily bread." Not give us what we need for the next month or the next year or the rest of our lives. Give us just what we need today. God will still be there tomorrow to grant to same request.

In the same way the children of Israel in the wilderness were only supposed to gather enough manna for the day. Faithfulness is a day by day endeavor. If you worry about tomorrow you will forget to be faithful today. So do what you can, the only thing God enables you to do, and that is to do His will this moment. When the next moment comes you can deal with it then but not a moment sooner.

John, God's prophet spoke plainly. We are all sons and daughters of snakes. We have all stolen and killed and hated and acted unfaithfully in our own ways. This is just as true for those of us who think we are good as it is for the more obvious sinners. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

And we are all in danger of being thrown on the eternal garbage heap for incineration. But God through Christ has given us grace. We can choose to turn from evil with God's help and serve the right.

What should we do? Love our neighbor, even if they hate us back. Care for the needy around us. Stop doing wrong and start doing right today. Because if we don't start today when will we start.