James Merritt - Jump For Joy
There are two times every year when even people that don't go to church, they know what the preacher's gonna talk about. They know it. In the spring, we call it Easter. So they know the preacher's gonna be preaching on the resurrection of Jesus. And then in the wintertime, people know that when they come to church, that they're going to hear a message about the birth of Jesus. People just know that. So they know that at Easter, you're gonna wind up at an empty tomb and they know that at Christians, you're gonna wind up in an occupied manger, but there's gonna be something different over the next couple of weeks 'cause I'm gonna do something I don't think I've ever done before in my entire ministry, to be honest with you.
So as I was thinking about back in the summers, I planned my messages out. The thing I always leave last is Christmas 'cause you've been doing this 47 years. I got one of my best friends, I called him one of my boys, his name's Terry Fields. Terry's down on the front row. Terry and I have known each other for 35 years. He's a great pastor, a great friend. And we were just talking about how the longer you do this, it's hard to come up with something fresh at Easter. So, back when I was thinking about this summer I was gonna do, God gave me this message, but this series, but it's different. So I just wanna kind of warn you, you come in today and you expect you're going to hear about shepherds, and angels, and wise men, and stars, but not this year. For the next two weeks, we're gonna switch things up. Oh, you're gonna hear Christmas messages.
This message is all about Christmas. But you're not going to hear the Christmas story. You'll hear that Christmas Eve because here's what we're gonna do. I'm really excited about it. It's kind of different. There is the story of Christmas, but then there is the theology of Christmas because behind every story in the Bible, there is theology. So what we're gonna be doing this week and the next week is not the story. We're gonna talk about the theology. We're gonna talk about the substance behind the story. But what you are going to hear is this, why is Bethlehem the site of the greatest spiritual blessing and the birth of the most important person who's ever lived?
I'll tell you where I got this idea. I got this idea from the Christmas Carol that we just saying just a little while ago. That song "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was written about 500 years ago, but it wasn't printed until about 1760. Charles Dickens actually quotes this song in his famous book, "A Christmas Carol". And just to remind you, the first stanza goes like this, "God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. For Jesus Christ our Savior was born upon this day to save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray". Most of us probably know that song by heart. But that's not the part of the song that inspired what I wanna do the next two weeks. It was that stanza that is repeated over and over and over that got my attention. It goes like this. "O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. O tidings of comfort and joy".
The author of that Carol and the reason why Dickens put that in that song was because they both believe Christmas really can be boiled down to two things, comfort and joy. So that's what we're gonna call our series the next two weeks. We're gonna call it Comfort and Joy. And I'm gonna tell you why I know this was of God. As I was working on this sermon, it was about two weeks after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out. And ever since then, what have we seen? What have we watched? What have we heard? We've seen grieving parents, and sons and daughters, broken hearted over loved ones would've been murdered, and raped, and kidnapped, taken hostage. We've seen the joy of some of those hostages released back into the arms of their family.
And then we saw things in this country. I never thought we'd see massive demonstrations in every city of this America with an absolute flood of antisemitism, like, I didn't think even existed. I just didn't really think was even real. And you've got politicians, you've got people on both sides of the street. And I mean, there's so much hatred, and hurt, and heartache, and division. And you may have seen just yesterday that a president of an Ivy League school had to resign because she couldn't even answer a simple question about antisemitism on campus before the Congress.
So I think we would all agree, I think we could use some comfort and joy. Can I get an amen to that? I think we could use some comfort and joy. So we're going to find both of those in one single chapter in a book in the Bible, but it's one you probably wouldn't guess. So if you brought a copy of God's word today and you want to follow along with us, there's a little book. It's a letter in the New Testament called First John. It's toward the end of your Bible. Now, if you're one of those people that say, I don't know where First John is, let me help you. It's right before Second John. Now, if you say, well, I don't know where second John is, let me help you. It's right before Third John. Okay?
If you still don't know, go to the maps in the back, turn left. You'll hit it about five books in, we're in First John, the first chapter. Let me just set this up. John's letter is different from every other letter written in the New Testament. About half of the New Testament are letters written and you know who they're written to 'cause you're told that in every letter, Paul says, "I'm writing to the church at Galatia. I'm writing to the church at Ephesus. Well, I'm writing to this person. I'm writing to that person". John doesn't open up that way. There's no salutation. There's no greeting. There's no introduction. There's no letting us know, this is who I'm writing to. He just dives right in, and he just write. He says, "Let's just talk about Jesus. Let's talk about the Christ of Christmas".
Now, here's what John does. He reverses the order so that's what I'm going to do. He doesn't talk about comfort first. He talks about joy first. So today, we're gonna talk about joy, and then next week, we're gonna talk about comfort. So if you came in today looking for some joy, and I'm sure there are some of you that did, I want to talk to you today about Christmas joy, not ordinary joy, but Christmas joy. And the real reason, the real reason why you'll always find joy in that little baby that was born 2000 years ago, the real reason why there ought to be joy at Christmas is not because we get gifts. It's not even because we really give gifts. The reason why there's such joy is we get to celebrate what God has given to us.
So today we're gonna learn that the joy of Christmas is only found in the Jesus of Christmas. Now, I don't know what's going on in your life. I guarantee you there's some of you right now, and you're struggling to find some joy at Christmas. I don't know if you know this or not, but suicide rates spike during the Christmas season. For a lot of people, it's depression, it's discouragement. There's hurt. There's heartache. Maybe you just lost a loved one. Maybe you just lost your job. Maybe you've been trying to find a job and you can't get one. Maybe you don't even have enough money to buy anybody a gift this year. I don't know what your situation is. Here's what I do know.
Here's what I can guarantee you. If Christmas is true and Christmas is real, we should be able to jump for joy. And John tells us three reasons why Christmas is a time of joy and how we can take joy. Let me share those with you this morning. First of all, we ought to take joy in the historical reality of Jesus. We ought to take joy in the historical reality of Jesus. One of the reasons why Christmas is not just joy to the church, or joy to the Christian, or joy to the believer. That's not what the Carol says. The Carol says joy to the what? Why is it joy to the world? Why is it not just joy to Christians, or joy to believers, or joy to the church? Here's the number one reason why, because Christmas is not about a mythical figure.
Jesus is not like Santa Claus. He's not like frosty the snowman. He's not like Rudolph the red nose reindeer. He is a real flesh and blood human being who was born into this world just like the rest of us. And then John says, "Hey, I'm just one eyewitness to testify". So here's what he begins by saying, First John 1. "That which was from the beginning, which we've heard, which we've seen with our eyes, which we've looked at at our hands of touch, this we proclaim concerning the word of life". So John says... Let me just start off by telling you something right now. Christmas is not one of those once upon a time fairytales. It's not a fictional story. He said it is factual history. It's not a figment of our imagination. That person who was from the beginning, that really means he was before time.
John says, "As hard as it is for you to get your mind around this, that person who was before time came into time". That person who came into space created space. There actually was a man who was born of a virgin, who lived a perfect life, who died a sacrificial death, who experienced a physical resurrection into flesh. And then John launches into his testimony. He says it over and over. He says, for example, "We've seen Him with our eyes". He says a second time, "We've looked at Him". He says a third time, "We've seen it".
Now, why does John say that? Because there's something we all know. My son's a lawyer. He will tell you this, the greatest piece of evidence you will ever introduce in a court of law is an eyewitness. Nothing beats an eyewitness. I mean, absolutely nothing. Nothing beats an eye witness. And John says, "Let me tell you something. I personally heard this man. I positively saw this man. I physically touched this man". And by the way, that word for heard, that's a beautiful word, It's... in the Greek language. That means it's something that happened in the past, but it continues in the future.
Here's what John really said. When John said, "I heard Him," what John was really saying was, His voice is still ringing in my ears. I can still remember what He sounded like. I can still remember the inflection in His voice. I can still remember the tone that He used. And then John goes on to say, "Hey, I didn't just see this guy. I heard Him. I touched Him. I rubbed shoulders with Him. I felt Him. I had a multisensory experience with Him, audibly, visibly, tangibly. I experienced this man". He says, "I want you to know this guy's not a legend. He's not a myth. He doesn't come out of a cartoon. He doesn't come out of a comic book. This guy is the real deal. His deal was real. And He was the real deal".
Now, here's the question. Why is John so adamant? Why is he so emphatic? Why is he driving the nail in with a sledgehammer? Well, these verses all refer, whether you know it or not, they refer to how a witness would testify to evidence in a court of law. When John said, "I gave testimony. I testified," that's a legal term. And one scholar put it this way, I love the way he said it. He said, "John's not just making a conversation or statement. He's actually swearing a deposition". What John is saying is, I will stand up in a court of law, even at the point of perjury. And I'm telling you, I'm not lying. I'm telling you the truth. I saw this man. I heard this man. I touched this man. I felt this man. I had a physical experience with this man.
And then John goes on to say this, watch this. He said, "The life appeared," we'll come back to that word in a moment, "The life appeared. We've seen it. We testify". That's a legal term before God. The whole truth, nothing but the truth. "We testified to it., And we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us". That word appear literally means to make visible. John says he wasn't a ghost. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna tell you something I bet you've never heard before. If you'd gone back 2000 years ago and you'd met Jesus, let me tell you what you would not have done if you'd just met Him. You'd have gone, "Wow, that guy must be gone". You wouldn't have done that.
If you'd have met Jesus, you know who you'd have met? Just an average guy. You could not have picked Him out of a lineup with 50 other Jewish men. Can I tell you what Jesus looked like? He had dark olive skin, short wavy hair, prominent nose, stood somewhere between 5'1 and five feet inches tall, brown eyes, calloused hands. He was just a dude just to look at Him. Just a dude. He didn't have the face of Brad Pitt. He didn't have the face of the physique of Rock Johnson. He was just a guy. And the point that John's making is, if you had been back in that day, you could have taped Him. You could have videoed Him. You could have taken a selfie with Him. He had a voice that could hear. He had a body that you could see and touch.
So John says, "I want you to know the first reason why we ought to take joy today is because this person that we celebrate, this baby that we sing about, this season that we enjoy, is all because of a person that actually lived. He was a historical reality". That's great. Not only most of us believe that, but that's great to know. Okay, He really was just as real as George Washington, just as real as Abraham Lincoln, just as real as Attila the Hun, just as real as Alexander the Great. He was real. It's great to know that. But John says there's another reason why we ought to take joy that's even greater than that. He said not only should we take joy in the historical reality of Jesus, he said we ought to take joy in the heavenly identity of Jesus.
Now, I hope you're like me. So man, I'm glad to know that you know this man who was the subject of more books, and more songs, and more conversations, and more sermons, and more debates, and more discussions than any other human being that's ever lived, I'm really glad that he actually lived. That is wonderful. But let me just stop right there. If that's all you could say about Jesus, well, he was real, we know the guy lived, we know this guy was born in Bethlehem somewhere around 4 BC, lived about 33 years, we know all about that, if that's all we had to go on, if that's it, we would be here today. We would be celebrating Christmas. He was just a guy. He lived, he died. Other people who died. He was just there. That joy would be temporary. Christmas wouldn't even exist. But John says, "Wait a minute, this man wasn't just a historical reality. This man had a heavenly identity".
So he goes on to say this, he said, "The life appeared. We've seen it. We testify to it," and then he makes this incredible statement, "and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us". Now, here's what John says. "That little baby that was born just like you were born, that little baby that came out of a mother's womb, just like you came out of your mother's womb and that little baby that lived just like you live right now. Oh by the way, that little baby was eternal life". He didn't just give eternal life. He didn't just point to eternal life. John said he was and is eternal life. How can that be true? There's only one way that can be true. And that is he was God because only God is eternal. Only God can give eternity. Only God can bring you into eternity. He is God.
And what John is saying is this... I mean, I'm gonna be honest. I can't wrap my mind. I'm a theologian. I can't fathom this. He said that little baby that is serenaded with carols and celebrated with lights and trees, that little baby is the one that created the musical notes of the carols. That little baby is the one that created the wood that makes up the trees. And so above everything else, what makes Christianity completely, totally, radically, supremely different from every other religion in the world is what we call the incarnation. This baby was God in the flesh. That's what makes it different. You see nearly every other religion in the world and almost every founder that ever has found in any religion, here's what they all do. They all do the same thing. They point to something they call eternal life.
So the Muslim says, "Hey, you've practiced the five pillars of Islam, you might get eternal life". Or some religions say, "If you'll just be reincarnated and finally you'll come to nirvana, you'll reach eternal life". And other religions will say, "Well, if you'll do this and not do this, you might reach eternal life". John says, "Hey, Jesus doesn't just point to eternal life. He doesn't just give eternal life. He is eternal life". And if you think about it, he's got to be because the only one who can give you eternal life must be eternal life. You can't give what you're not. You can't give what you don't have. So he said, "He is eternal life". You know, Jesus said about himself in John 10:10, here's what Jesus said. He said, "The thief comes on to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have," what's that word? "life and have it to the full".
So here's what Jesus said, "I am the source of your physical life. I am the source of your spiritual life. I am the source of your eternal life". I am the source of all of life. And I'll tell you why I say that. I wanna help you out on something. I was talking to a man two weeks ago, not a believer. I mean, there's lost and lost. He's lost. And he was sitting there trying to convince me and tell me, "All religions are the same. We all going to the same place. We just shine lights different ways, but we're all kind of in the same place". And it hit me as he was talking to me. There's only one thing wrong with every false religion in the world. Only one, not two, not three, not four. There's only one thing wrong with every religion in the world. There's only one thing wrong with every cult in the world. You ready for this? The only thing that's wrong is this, they are all wrong about Jesus. That's where they're wrong. They are wrong about Jesus.
Let me tell you why that's such a big deal. If you're wrong about Jesus, you're wrong about God because Jesus was God. So if you don't get Jesus right, you don't get God right. If you don't get God right, nothing else matters. And they're all wrong about God. See, it doesn't matter what else? Listen, it doesn't matter what else, a religion's right about. It doesn't matter what else you're right about. If you're wrong about Jesus, you're stuck. If you're wrong about Jesus, you're gone. If you're wrong about Jesus, it's all over. The apostle Paul said this about Jesus, great statement. He said, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him".
Let me tell you what he said that one statement. Paul said, "Take all the love of God. Take all the power of God. Take all of the holiness of God. Take all of the strength of God. Take all of the greatness of God. Take all of of the every attribute you can think about God". He said, "Every one of them were in that little bitty baby boy that was in that manger". So this is what I can't get over. 2000 years ago, you meet Jesus. When He spoke, that was God speaking. When He taught, that was God teaching. When He walked, that was God walking. When He touched, that was God touching. When He suffered, that was God suffering.
See, I take joy today. I take joy into historical reality of Jesus. He really did live. He really was real. He had flesh. He had blood. He had bones. he had seen you. You cut Him and He bled. You crucified Him. And He died. He didn't come out of a cartoon. He didn't out of a comic book. He lived just like you and just like me, but there's so much more. I don't just take joy in His historical reality. I take joy in His heavenly identity. That baby was God. That little baby in that manger that cried and wept and had to have his diaper changed and had to be fed, that baby was God in the flesh. And you know what?, that Jesus came from heaven so He could show us heaven, so He could take us to heaven. That's pretty good joy. That's great joy.
So I take joy in the historical reality of Jesus. He was a real guy. And I take joy in the heavenly identity of Jesus. He wasn't just a real guy, He was the real God. But then John says, but there's one other thing about joy and this is where most of you miss it. I'm gonna be very honest. Oh, you love Jesus. I don't doubt that you know Jesus. I don't doubt that. You know the Christ of Christmas. But there's some of you that are missing a big part of the joy of the Christian life, and I hope that will change today. Because John says not only should we take joy in the historical reality of Jesus, not only should we take joy in the heavenly identity of Jesus. Watch this. John says we ought to take joy in the holy community of Jesus. I want you to listen. This is gonna get practical here.
John says, "Can we get just a little bit deep here for a minute"? John, let's get deep. He says let me tell you why the historical reality with a heavenly identity came to us, why He can bring us tidings of joy. Because John says in verse four, this is why I wrote this to you, watch this, John said, "We write this to make our joy complete". So John just said, "When you read these first two verses, the reason I wrote those verses is I wanted to make your joy complete. I wanna make you joyful. I want you to know what real joy is truly all about".
By the way, Santa Claus can bring happiness one day a year. Jesus brings joy every day of the year. That's the difference. That is the difference. Christmas and joy. But he says, "I want your joy to be complete". In other words, he says, you know what, I want you to have full joy, I want you to have total joy, I want you to have unending joy, I want you to have overflowing joy, I want you to have complete joy. Now, you may be sitting there saying, "Brother, do I need that, Pastor? Do I need to..." Man, give me some joy. Where do I find that joy? Are you ready? John says, you find it in one word. Get ready. Anybody ready? Here's the word, fellowship. John said, "You want joy, you find it in fellowship".
Listen to Verse 3. We proclaim to you what we've seen and heard. Why? So that you may also have fellowship with us. Oh, and by the way, our fellowship was with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ. Now, John says, the real joy of Christmas and the real reason why Christmas ought to have us jumping for joy every day is because of this, it makes possible a vertical relationship, a vertical fellowship, and it makes possible a horizontal fellowship. As a matter of fact, it is the vertical fellowship that makes impossible the horizontal fellowship. Well, let's think first about the horizontal fellowship. Let's just go back to the first one. Here's what John said. He said, "We proclaimed to you what we've seen, heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us".
Let me just stop right there. Don't want you to think about something. I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of this country that we need more fellowship than we need right now. I don't think there's been a time in our country that we need more relationship than we need right now. I don't think there's ever been a time in our country that we need more friendship than we do and relationship right now 'cause as you think about it, this is not the world I grew up in. I'm not trying to take you guys all the way back, but this is not the world I grew up in. We live in an absolutely the personalized world. Everything's automated. So let me just tell you, you know how I was known growing up basically? My name. That's not how you're known today.
Can I tell you how you're known today? You're known today by your area code, your zip code, your social security number, your cell phone number, your email address, your social media handle. That's how you're known. And so we're living right now more isolated and more insulated from each other than we've ever been. Now, instead of face-to-face fellowship, what do we have now? Zoom calls, live streaming, text messages, emails. So I want you to hear me clearly and carefully. That's why the church is so important. That's why the church ought to be a big deal to you. That's why the church ought to be so very, very important to you. Because you know what the church is at the end of the day? Here's what a church is. A church is a fellowship in relationship. It's a fellowship and relationship.
You know, it's an interesting, when the Bible talks about the church, it never talks about buildings. They didn't have buildings 2000 years ago. Doesn't talk about budgets. They didn't have budgets 2000 years ago. When the Bible talks about the church, it always talks about a community that is intimately connected. So how's the church described? Think about it. It's a body with members. It's a vine with branches. It's a temple with stones. It's a family with children. And I say this not as a pastor, I say this as a Christian, I have a humongous, stupendous, tremendous problem with somebody who says, "I'm a Christian. I'm just not into church".
Let me just tell you something. If you're a Christian or say you are and you're not in the church, you're not gonna be happy in heaven. If you have no desire to fellowship with people here, what makes you think you wanna do it for eternity up there? There's something wrong. There's something desperately wrong with somebody. And I hear it all the time, I get sick of it. Oh, I'm a Christian. Oh, I love Jesus. I follow Jesus. I just don't have any use for the church. Let me tell you something, there's no place in the New Testament for lone ranger Christianity. And there's very little joy in lone ranger Christianity. By that word, the word fellowship comes from the Greek word It means to share, one of the reasons why I love coming to church. Really?
Just so I get to preach. I mean, I love preaching and I'm glad you come to hear. I mean, it's gratifying and I appreciate that. But what I really love about church is when I get to come to church and I see brothers and sisters, I feel fellow believers, and we just get together. We share blessings, we share burdens. Today, you know what I've shared with people today? I've shared burdens and I've shared blessings. You know what I've shared with people today? I've shared praise, I've shared problems. You know what I've shared with people today? I've shared hopes. I've shared heartaches. You know what I've shared with people today? I've shared victories, and I've shared defeats. And I'm gonna tell you something, there's a joy in that.
There's a joy when you come together and you go, "I'm not in this by myself. I got a family that's got my back. I got people I know that love me and pray for me. I've got people I know that I can call on". You got a pastor you can call on. There is such unbelievable joy in that. But remember that horizontal fellowship is based on that family relationship. That horizontal fellowship is based on that vertical relationship. This horizontal fellowship I have with the family is based on my vertical fellowship with the father because John goes on to say this. He says, "And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ".
Now, I want you to miss that. That's one of those statements that's like a speed bump. You kind of blow over it and don't think about it. Do you hear what he just said? He said, little old you and little old me can have fellowship with the creator of this universe. Every morning when I get up, you know the first thing I do every morning? My wife will tell, been married to me 47 years. You know the first thing I do when I get up every morning? I have fellowship with the Father. I did this morning. I read the word. I pray. I lift my hands and I do sing because He doesn't mind. I have fellowship with the Father. It's unbelievable. And I think, wow, He's listening to me. He's giving me His full attention.
But I want you to hear me clearly. This is what people don't like to hear. You cannot have fellowship with God the Father if you don't have fellowship with God the Son. There's no detour. There's no bypass. There's no alternate route. You cannot get to God except through Jesus. Fellowship with God is based on a relationship with Jesus. Let me tell you why that's so important. See, there are times that even church people, they'll get together, they'll call it fellowship when it really isn't. So what do you mean? If you get together but Jesus is not in the middle of your get together, you're just hanging out. Now, that doesn't mean you gotta come together and quote the King James version of the Bible all the time. I'm not saying that. What I am saying is this, Jesus is the one that brings us together. Jesus is the one that builds us together. Jesus is the one that binds us together.
And you see, here's the bottom line, here's the bottom line. Let me tell you why the church ought to be a big deal to you. Let me tell you why coming to church ought to be a big deal to you. Because the Jesus that lives in you wants to have face-to-face fellowship with the Jesus that lives in me. And the Jesus that lives in me wants to have face-to-face fellowship with the Jesus that lives in you. So I'm watching people right now. Some of you know who I'm talking to and I'm talking to you. There's something wrong with you. There's something desperately wrong with you. If you're in a small group outside this church., but you never come to this church, there's something wrong with your faith, there's something wrong with your fellowship. That's defective, that's wrong, wrong.
When you've got Jesus in your heart, that Jesus wants all of us to come together in a place called the church. And I love small groups, and I'm gonna talk about that in a moment. Let me just make something play. The Bible doesn't say He died for small groups, He died for the church. And I'm just letting you know, and I'm just being very honest. If your fellowship with God doesn't lead you to fellowship with other believers, something wrong with your relationship with God. If your fellowship relationship with God doesn't lead you to fellowship with other believers, there's something wrong with your relationship with God. The union you have with the Father ought to lead to communion with the family.
Now, I'm gonna get very practical the other way. If you really love God, the Father, you really love God the Son, you love God the Holy Spirit. You don't have to get in a small group. You ought to want to get in a small group. I'm in a small group. You don't pay me to be in a small group. I don't have to be in a small group. And you'd never know it if I wasn't in a small group. Well, Why am I in a small group? I don't get paid for it. Nobody makes me do it. You know why I'm in a small group? That guy right down there is in my small group. Why do I come to that small group? 'Cause the Jesus in me wants to have that intimate fellowship with the Jesus that is in you. And I need to be able to talk to a man like that man right there and say, "Man, pray for me. I got this going on". And he's gonna be able to say to me, not as his pastor, just as a brother, "Hey doc, I got this problem going on".
And I wanna tell you there's a joy unspeakable and full of glory about having that kind of fellowship. That's what makes our joy complete. It is the joy of eternal fellowship, the joy of eternal friendship, the joy of an eternal family. By the way, that's why only the Jesus of Christmas can give you the joy of Christmas. And let me tell you why I know that's true. You can die lost. You can live lost. You can be lost without Jesus and be happy. Now, I'm gonna say, find it hard to believe it. I'm gonna say it again. You can be lost without Jesus and be happy. But you cannot be lost without Jesus and be joyful. You say, I don't believe that, I'm gonna prove it to you. If you die without Jesus, your happiness will be over. But if you die with Jesus, your joy is just beginning. That's the difference. That's all the difference. It's just different.
So I wanna close with a story. It's an incredible story. I'd never heard it before until I worked on this message. I don't even know how I came across it. But when I read that story, I said, "Golly Pete, I gotta tell that story". And I always love when I tell fresh stories. Terry, I do. So this is a story. I guarantee you I doubt you've even heard it. There was a man in Australia, his name was Arthur Stace, S-T-A-C-E. Anybody here ever heard of Arthur Stace? Nobody. I never heard of him. Let me talk about Arthur Stace. He had a nickname. His nickname was Mr. Eternity. What a cool name, Mr. Eternity. Tell me about Arthur. Arthur was in the Australian army. Great soldier, very brave, received medals. But in his teenage years, he began to drink. And from his teenage years until somewhere around his mid forties, he was just a raging alcoholic.
Mr. Stace tried everything he knew to quit, but he just couldn't shake it. He was on the verge of suicide. He was literally drinking himself to death. And on August the 6th, 1930, he wandered into a meeting in St. Barnabas Church. And there was an arch deacon there. His name was Hammond. And this man preached the gospel in Sydney, Australia. August the sixth, 1930. Arthur Stace was one of those guys that was a miracle. The first time he ever heard the gospel, he responded to the gospel, and he gives his life to Jesus In that service. In that service was when he gave up alcohol, never had another drink the rest of his life, his life was radically, totally changed.
Beginning in 1930 until 1967, he went around the Sydney of Australia, writing one single word in yellow chalk. He wrote it on bridges. He wrote it on buildings. He wrote it on street corners. He wrote it on manhole covers. He wrote it on foot pass. He wrote it on doors. He wrote it on windows. He wrote it on elevators. He was the only guy that could get away with it. He wrote that word in public spaces from 1932 to 1967. And they counted, and they estimated he wrote this single word all over Sydney, Australia over 500,000 times. You couldn't go anywhere in Sydney, Australia, you didn't see that word written down. And everybody knew who wrote it down, Mr. Australia. I mean, Mr. Eternity.
Toward the end of his life when they asked him, "Why have you done that"? He said, "because that one word summarized my encounter with Jesus Christ". Here's the word, eternity. They have a statue to him in Sidney, Australia. Still legend to this day. Mr. Eternity. Boy, I thought about that and I thought, why that word, Mr. Stace? All the words you could have written, why that word? It hit me like a ton of bricks. When that little baby was born, when that little baby came out of his mother's womb, when that little baby was laid in that major, you ready for this? Eternity met reality. Eternity met reality.
That wasn't just a flesh and blood baby leg in that manger, that was eternity lying in that manger. That's why for a believer, if I were to say to you right now, when is Christmas day? You know what we'd all say? December the 25th, wrong. When is Christmas day? Every day. Every day is Christmas day because every day we take joy in that historical reality. And every day we take joy in that heavenly identity. And every day there's this joy of a holy community, which tells me we're a part of a family of God forever and forever and forever because of that Jesus of joy.
Would you just bow your heads and close your eyes? And I just want to ask you one question. Just for a moment, give me your undivided attention. Don't think about where you're gonna eat lunch or all that kind of business. Just give me two minutes. I want you to write this word on your heart, and I want you to focus on it. That word's eternity. On my way to church this morning, I got slowed down because there was a terrible accident on the exit I get off of right before I come to church. Five police cars, four fire trucks and an ambulance. Pretty sure somebody didn't make it.
I thought about this story. One of these days, you're gonna find out just how eternity is a reality. And no matter what else you do with your life or how well you do it, if you're not ready to step into eternity, you're not ready. And so there may be some of somebody listening to me right now, or you're in this room, and you need to make the same decision Arthur Stace made August the 6th, 1930, you need to accept Jesus into your life. You need to trust Jesus. You need to give your heart to the Lord. So right now, why don't you just say this if that's you? Why don't you just say something like this and just to the Lord.
Lord, I've known the happiness of Christmas, but I know now I've never experienced the joy of Christmas because You are the only source of joy. So Lord Jesus, You really did live, I believe it. You really lived a perfect life, I believe it. You really died on a cross from my sins, I believe it. You really came back from the grave. I believe it. So Lord Jesus, today, would You take me as one of your own? I'm a sinner. I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I repent and turn away from my sins. I give You all of the rest of my life today.