God bless y’all and thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning.
I’m Michael Low. The Bible says, “condescend to men of low estate.” So thank you for condescending to my level. Some of you know me from Influencers’ retreats and Journey groups. Most of you know me because I take notes and post them on Influencers West web site.
How may of you were at October’s Influencers retreat? As you recall we have a tradition at our influencers retreats to toss an orange to someone who has particularly blessed us. Pete threw me an orange and said that I was a blessing for taking notes of the messages. Pete said to me after reading the first notes I published, “I don’t remember saying that. Then I thought to myself, I wish I had said that.” Pete said to Bill Kauble after reading my notes, “I didn’t know I was that good.” Bill always having a heart to keep Pete humble said, “You’re really not that good.”
I went to a church conference and the preacher said, “After the sermon, I went to greet the people as they were leaving. They would say, “I loved it when you said….and then they would tell me what they heard.” I remember saying to myself, “I never said that.” About the 50th time someone came up to me and said “I loved it when you said…., God prompted me to reply “I didn’t say that. The Holy Spirit said that. You need to write down not what the preacher says but what the Holy Spirit says.” That’s what I do when I publish the notes and thoughts from influencers messages.
When Pete threw me the orange I was thinking of whom to thank. I said, “I’d like to throw an orange to all y’all.” Pete said, “It’s good to hear from a fellow southerner.” People notice two things about me when they first meet me. The first is that I’m Asian. The second is that I speak with a slight southern twang. In response to Pete’s comment I said, “most of y’all don’t know it, but I hail from North Carolina….that’s in Southern China.”
I’d like to thank all y’all for our fellowship, our band of brothers here in Fullerton. After our retreat Bill Kauble asked the table leaders what they thought about our table group discussions. Justin from our Irvine group said, “you remember the story about Daniel in the lions’ den? Well, I felt like a lion in the midst of Daniels.” That’s the way I feel when I’m here with y’all.
Bill Kauble often asks deep questions. One question is, “why are you here?” I’m here because you’re here. When I’m here I see God’s word and his love reflected in all y’all. We’re the only bible some people will ever read. Paul said, we’re living epistles known and read of all men. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Someone gave me some good advice. He said if the reproof fits, wear it. To correct means to restore to an upright position.
When Bill asked me to speak this morning I asked him if he had a topic for me or if I should allow the Holy Spirit to inspire me. He said the latter.
Did you realize we’re half way between Thanksgiving and Christmas? How do you tie together Thanksgiving and Christmas? There are three women’s names that will help us: The three names are Carissa, Irene, and Agatha.
The first name is Carissa. “Charis” is the Greek word for grace. As y’all know I’m from the South. We do things a little differently in the South. In California we say the blessing before a meal or we just give thanks. In the south, we say grace. I had to look up the word grace in my bible dictionary. The Greek word for Grace, “Charis” is the same root word for the words Gift and Thanksgiving. Gift is Charisma and Thanksgiving is the Greek word eucharista.
Grace is divine favor. Grace is God’s divine favor given by the one who didn’t need to give it to the ones who didn’t deserve to receive it. God’s gifts are given by grace. Grace allows access to God through his son our Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest gift of all is salvation through Jesus’s sacrifice for sin on out behalf. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
I hope you’re planning to celebrate Christmas with your family and that would include your young children or grand children. Children are excited to unwrap their Christmas presents. But the greatest present of all is the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The greatest present of all is the presence of Christ in us the hope of glory. Therefore Psalm 100 says, ”Be thankful unto him and bless his name….for the lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations.”
The name Carissa reminds us that because of God’s grace, we give thanks for the gracious gift of his son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The second and third women’s names that connect Thanksgiving with Christmas are Irene and Agatha. The name Irene is the Greek word for Peace and the name Agatha is the Greek word for Good. The angel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth contained both of these women’s names. The heavenly host’s announcement of Jesus’ birth to the Shepherds on a Judean hillside concluded with their praise, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Peace is the Greek word Irene. Peace is the absolute end of all strife and contention between God and men. You can’t have peace without the Prince of Peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Peace is the result of reconciliation. To reconcile means to bring together that which has been separated. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:13-17 is about peace through Christ’s reconciliation: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”
The other woman’s name in Jesus’ birth announcement is Agatha. This old English name Agatha is the Greek word for Good. The rich young ruler approached Jesus and said, “Good master what shall I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus said, “why calleth thou me good?” What does it mean to do good or to be good? I was brought up Southern Baptist. When you ask most people, ”what does it mean to be a Christian,” most people think that it has something to do with being good and doing good. This is what the Pharisees thought.
However Jesus said, “there is none good no not one.” The Greek word for Good, Agatha, means “Fit for the particular purpose for which God intended.” Goods are items of value that are purchased for a price. if I buy a pen that doesn’t write, then it’s no good. It’s only good if it functions for the purpose intended. Otherwise it’s no good because it doesn’t work. Likewise, we were bought with a price. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect payment for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness (goodness) of God in Him. When we accepted Jesus as Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead, we received God’s gift of Holy Spirit. When Jesus said “there is none good,” he meant that there is none good in the flesh that we inherited from Adam. However, when we were born again of God’s spirit, our goodness was in God’s gracious gift of the spirit. When we were born again, the purpose for which were purchased was so that we could be to the praise of the glory of His Grace.
Because of Carissa God’s gift of grace, in everything we can give thanks. Because of Jesus’ birth, we can rejoice and praise God with the angels: Grace, peace and goodness. Carissa, Irene, and Agatha. They are the reasons for the season. This is why Christ our Saviour is born!
Because we have God’s gracious gift of his son, Christ in us the hope of Glory we can rejoice with the heavenly hosts: Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace, Good Will toward men!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael