So I “soapboxed” a little bit this weekend, in case you missed it.  I know, I know, the pulpit isn’t supposed to be a “soapbox”, but this issue REALLY matters in my view (and hopefully in yours, too).

See, it’s my conviction that we just don’t worship God enough at Christmastime.  Yes, you’re right, we probably don’t worship Him enough ANY time of the year, but our lack of worship seems especially prevalent THIS time of the year, right?  What I mean by “us not worshiping God enough at Christmastime” is that is that we don’t make space in our hearts and lives to adore, celebrate, worship, and revel in God during this Season that is supposed to be all about Him.  We’re SO busy.  We’re SO focused on getting the right gifts for people.  We’re SO focused on making sure that everyone is perfectly pampered at our meals and parties and that little Susie isn’t disappointed with what Santa brings her that we lose our focus on Jesus.  Christmastime, for so many, has descended into a mere 30-day shopping excursion instead of an incredible season of adoration of our God for everything He gave us via His Son Jesus.  And that ought to bum us out and be the impetus for pressing the “reset” button on our Christmas Season and returning these days to their original intent (adoration).  But, the angels can help us do that.

When we think of the role of angels around the Christmas narrative, we primarily see them as “messengers”, don’t we?  The angel Gabriel shows up to announce the impending birth of John (the forerunner of Christ) to Zechariah in the Temple (Luke 1:5-25).  Then, Gabriel showed up to tell Mary that she was going to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).  Finally, the angels show up to announce that Christ had been born (Luke 2:8-14).  But “messengers” is not the primary role of angels.  The angel’s primary role is to adore God–to celebrate HIM, worship HIM, and revel in HIM–all of the time.

So, what is it that the angels can teach us about adoring God?  Three things:

1.  The adoration of God Begins With The Awareness Of The Presence of God.

You and I are no less surrounded by the presence of God than the angels are.  We too, live in the presence of God–just like the angels do.  He is right here—as close as your skin—but we forget it—the angels don’t.  It’s my conviction that if we want to “reset” our Christmas Season and restore it to its original intent and adore God like the angels do, we must live with that awareness!

God is here.  He is ever-present and always active in this unbelievable world that we live in.  He is present and active in the people we encounter.  And we are meant to see His activity and live in His presence in this world.  We are meant to see His greatness and goodness.  And in the seeing and recognizing, we are propelled to adore Him just like the angels do.

2. The adoration of God sets our lives in a posture of awe at the reality that God sent His Only Son Jesus to be humanity’s Savior.

I’m convinced that the reason that we’re capable of degrading Christmastime into a mere 30-day experience in commerce is because we’ve forgotten what exactly it was that Jesus has done for us! What DID He do for us?  Romans 5:8 NLT (the Gospel in a “nutshell”):

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

In light of THAT, we ought to be moved to live a life of adoration and worship and celebration and praise; a life in which adoring God comes before and during and in the midst of everything else, right?!?

And get this: When it comes to salvation, all the angels can do is observe it.  Angels haven’t experienced the redemption and salvation and restoration of God.  And yet they give themselves to the adoration of God.  It’s all they do!  But as human beings, we get the privilege of actually experiencing salvation—experiencing God’s redemption and restoration—which should translate into us adoring and praising and worshiping God exceedingly more than the angels do!  Forget shopping!  We ought to be blowing it out in praise and worship around the clock with our whole lives because of everything that God has done for us.

3.  Our adoration of God, then, propels us to be messengers of God’s Good News.

Bringing God’s God’s Good News to people begins with our living in a posture of adoration of God for everything He’s done for us–just like the angels do.  It’s the angel’s adoration of God that fuels their role as God’s messengers.

Have you ever stopped to consider that our role as “messengers” of God’s Good News is anemic because our adoration of God is anemic?   I believe that our capacity, desire, passion, and fervor to deliver the Good News message of Jesus to people in our world who so desperately need it would be increased immeasurably when we more fully adore God.

In light of all that: I have two invitations & challenges for you:

First, would you give yourself to adoring God more than you give yourself to anything else this Christmastime?  Would you make space in your heart and life to adore God during this Season that is supposed to be all about Him?  Will you return these days to their original intent?  Adoration over consumerism and commerce.

Second, would you ask God to use your adoration of Him to fuel your doing something about the people in your world who don’t yet know Jesus? 

Once a year the world has a day of crystal clarity, December 25^th.  Pretty much everything stops.  Families gather. Businesses stand still.  Traffic clears. And on December 25^th, even atheists think about the Baby Who was the Savior of the world.  And then, on December 26^th, the world slips back into a coma about Jesus.  Don’t waste this opportunity!

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are the greatest weeks of faith-sharing opportunity for followers of Jesus all year!  More Americans are receptive to an invitation during the Christmas season than any other time of the year.  Make much of that!  Share all that Jesus has done in your heart and life with the person in your world who you’ve been meaning to do that with, but have wimped out on.  Invite them to make the same decision you made to follow Jesus with your everything.  It’s not that hard!  Get tickets to Journey’s “Christmas At The Commons” Celebrations and bring folks with you!

Before your neighbors, friends, coworkers, roommates, and classmates slip back into a coma about Jesus, step out and share with them all that Jesus has done for you and invite them to make that same choice.  Who knows? Maybe God will do something amazing in them…something only He can do.

ADORE God like the angels do this Christmastime!