"Hour of Power" Christmas Eve Candlelight Celebration (24/12/03)

By: Robert H. Schuller

Yes the world needs Christmas. It always has. And it seems like every year we say, "it's never need it more that this year." It's been a tough year for many people. Not a few of you have suffered losses some like Roger Williams. I married him to Louise many years ago in a beautiful wedding and she died this year. And look how he celebrates anyway. Christmas is a time we can celebrate because miracles are happening all around us. A hundred million miracles are happening everyday, but very few people notice them along the way.

I want you to embrace miracles in you life. Be prepared to look for them, expect them, sense them, and see them. How our world needs miracles this Christmas. I want to focus on four miracles that we can look for.

First the miracle of celebration. TO be able to celebrate when you've lost a lot, that's a miracle. To be able to look at what you have left instead of bemoan what you're lost. That's a miracle. A miracle is when God touches us and lifts us above an expected despair or hurt. Celebration. Wow.

At an earlier service, and if you're watching on television we have seven of these services every Christmas Eve. And at an earlier service when the little children were all here, one of the little sweet hearts that I love with all my heart Meta McDonald she's grown up a little girl in this church. I guess she's twelve years old now, maybe thirteen. You can always tell Meta McDonald because she doesn't have much hair and what she has come together in one little ponytail. She's lost it a lot through the years with her cancer treatments. She's always got a sparkle in the eye and a love in the heart. She can spot me a block off and come dashing until she hugs me around the waist lifts her face, her eyes sparkle, her goes in a wide grin and we have our moment of celebration.

I first called on her in the hospital when she was very tiny and she was lying there in a fetal position. It was cancer a major one in her brain and they didn't hold out hope at all, but we prayed and there was surgery and she survived. And few years later it came back. And back in that same hospital children's hospital of Orange County. This pastor of a congregation went back and we prayed. And even in that sober time she never lost the twinkle in her eye. And it seemed have rested but then it came back again and there was third surgery. I don't know how long ago that was but I can tell you that right now tonight she has no active measurable cancer in her body and she is looking like a little light.

And the Glory of Christmas, which is staged here every year at Christmas time, she sang a solo this year, Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright. And when she sang those words I sat down there and I just cried because I knew she meant it. After what she's gone through, all is calm, all is bright.

There is nothing more powerful that faith and the faith that we received in Jesus Christ. Now that's a miracle. I don't care what you say you cannot show me any philosophy, any psychology, any ideology, any religion that will do more for people than what the simple birth of Christ in Bethlehem has done for Meta McDonald. Meta, we love you. We need celebrations. We need miracles.

And reconciliation, that's the second place where I see miracles happening in this church, and in my ministry around the world. I see people that were enemies that have become friends. And I'm an optimist, and I'm a believer that some of the most destructive enmities that exist today among races and groups of people can be dealt with, and will be ameliorated through the presence of Jesus Christ. Some of these reconciliations, you know, are really quite amazing.

I think of a grandmother. Her little granddaughter was born, and they took the grandchild away before the grandmother could even hold it once. It was a bad family seed. She belonged to this church. Now I remember one Sunday morning, every Sunday morning if you come to this church, you know, we say "turn around, shake hands with somebody, and give them the blessing, 'God loves you and so do I.'" Why don't you do that right now, Christmas is a good time for that. Turn around; shake hands with somebody behind you. Give them a blessing, "God loves you and so do I."

Well you see what happens. It isn't just a sentence. Before you know it you're visiting with people. And that happened to an older grandmother here. One Sunday morning she turned round and right behind her was a pretty young girl and girl said to the grandmother, "My name is Lisa." And the grandmother gave her name. And the grandmother said, "oh, I have a granddaughter named Lisa." And the girl behind said, "What does your granddaughter do? Where does she live." The grandmother said, "I don't know where she lives, they took her away before I could hold her. And I do know what she does she a flight attendant." "Oh." And Lisa looked at that older woman said; "I'm a flight attendant. Who does your granddaughter fly with?" The grandmother said, "I don't know." A couple more question, "What is you mother's name? What is your name? What year were you born Lisa." And they realized, Grandma realized this was Lisa her granddaughter. And they hugged and they cried meeting for the first time.

You talk about the odds of that being set up. Lisa was on her way to Hong Kong to Christmas shopping on her free attendant airline ticket. And here they sat one in front of another in church that seats a few thousand people.

A hundred million miracles are happening everyday. Wow. Celebrations even in tough times, that's a miracle. Reconciliation when you don't know who to go about finding a lost one, that's a miracle. Salvation, now that's the ultimate miracle. How all of us know that we need the assurance of eternal life. We want to know that when the end comes there will be pride behind us love around us and hope ahead of us. Unfortunately there are many people that go through life pretending that they don't need salvation but you do. There's not a person the sound of this voice, starting with the speaker who hasn't done things or said things and I need salvation. Only God can give it.

Last Sunday in this church we interviewed a very handsome young man, in his early twenties. He was looking like he could be a president of the United States some day, handsome, attractive, intelligent, articulate. And he told us how he was saved out of a terrible life.

He came from a South American country and at the age of eleven he was already into drugs. At thirteen he was into heavy drugs, at thirteen, he overdosed and was in comma for days, survived. He said, " Nearly was dead six times." Not only from overdoses but from gun shots. He lived a tough life in one of toughest communities here in Southern California and he had nothing. He'd never heard of a man named Jesus.

And one he and part of his gang were riding down the street and they saw this big glass building. What's that? And they came in, they looked around and they said, "this is church. Hey let's check it out for the fun of it." And for kicks they cam in here on a Sunday. And he felt something in this building he hadn't felt before. It was peace, it was power, it was a presence. Now that's a miracle. It was God touching him out of the silence. And he came back and he wanted to know more about this Jesus guy and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, forgiveness and embrace that promise of eternal life.

He knows now in this Christmas what means when we say, "There's born to us a savior who is Christ the Lord." His name, Arnoldo Escobar. He decided he wanted to be a minister, tell people about this Jesus. The world had to know who Jesus was. He went back to school, got a high school diploma, went to the University, earned his under graduate degree out and has know been registering in one of the worlds greatest theological seminaries, Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California. And he serves as Youth Minister in out Latino congregation here. Applaud God for that one.

Celebration, miracles are happening, reconciliation, miracles are happening, salvation, miracles are happening. But know I'm looking at you. Where do you need a miracle tonight? Is it in the body? In Chemotherapy. Is it the soul? To get rid of that resentment, the pain and the anger. Where is it? You need it. And I feel that God is getting ready to give to you and it's the best Christmas Gift you can get. Isn't it wonderful that Jesus came to be our Lord and our Savior? There is no other religious leader in human history, of no faith; there is no other religious leader who says, "Look at my palms. There are scars. I died for you. God has given me the right to forgive you and to save you." Embrace those hands. Accept Jesus Christ. You'll experience the miracle of miracles. Amen.