On this Christmas Sunday, I would like to focus our eyes and our attention on the Gospel of Luke. As one of the four evangelists, Luke is very different from Mark, Matthew and John, and from all the other authors in the entire New Testament. Because Luke, alone, was a Gentile and dedicated his life to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the non-Jewish, Gentile world.

We know that is so because Luke was the apostle Paul’s physician and traveled with him on his missionary journeys throughout Asia Minor to evangelize the Gentiles. Moreover, in Luke’s introduction to his gospel, he writes to a man he calls "Theophilus," who, more than likely, was an important Roman official. "It seems good to me," Luke begins, "to write an orderly account for you, Most Excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed." You see, Luke was a Gentile, writing to another Gentile, about Jesus.

It is also interesting to note that in chapter 2, as Luke moves into his description of Jesus’ birth, he starts the story with the names of Caesar Augustus in Rome and Quirinius who was governor of Syria, both of whom were Gentile rulers. And if you were to turn the pages of Luke to the next chapter, you would discover that unlike Matthew, who traced the genealogy of Jesus back through the Jewish King David and on to Abraham, who was the patriarch of the Jewish people, Luke instead takes his genealogy all the way back to Adam, representing the whole human race (Luke 3:23-38).

So Luke’s gospel was written for everyone in that first century A.D. And ever since, it has spoken in a particular way to people like you and me who are not part of the original covenant God made with the Jewish community long ago.

So I ask you, "What difference could one person make... Luke, who was a Gentile trying to communicate to other Gentiles about a Jewish Baby born in Bethlehem... did he make a difference?"

In 1931, a baby was born to peasant parents in the rural Stravopol Territory of Southwestern Russia. His mother, who was a Christian in the Orthodox tradition, had her child christened in a private ceremony. It was private and kept secret because that family lived under the horrors of Soviet life during the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. But this little boy would someday have a role to play in changing all of that. His name was Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev.

He was admitted to law school at Moscow State University in 1950 and showed great promise through his willingness to work hard and to excel in his studies. And early on, young Mikhail demonstrated a natural ability to lead others.

He began his political career in 1956 as the secretary of the Komsomol organization for the city of Stravopol. He caught the attention of Soviet officials and was recommended to General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in 1970 for further promotion as he worked with farmers to improve their productivity and to enhance the living conditions of people in rural sections of that region.

Eight years later, with his wife Raisa and their daughter Irina, Gorbachev moved to Moscow where he was put in charge of all the Soviet Union’s agricultural programs and production. Then, in 1980, at the age of 49, he was made a member of the Politburo, the youngest leader ever to be brought into the party’s inner circle. And within five years, after the deaths of Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary and became the new leader of the Soviet Union in 1985.

Now you may wonder why, on this Christmas Sunday, I have told you about the background and early life of the man who became leader of the Communist Party. The reason is this. Soon after taking hold of the reins of his country, Mikhail Gorbachev began to make some radical changes. He brought in new young leaders who were open to a different future, and he quickly pursued a crackdown on corruption in the government, announced a national campaign against alcohol abuse and launched in 1986 an initiative he called "Perestroika," which literally meant the rebuilding of the Soviet society and economy.

Moreover, he declared that "glasnost," the Russian word for candor and openness, had to be fostered in the mass media and in all of the governmental organizations. The following year, he came out in favor of Demokratizatisila, meaning democratization, of the entire Soviet regime. And although he met with resistance every step of the way, Gorbachev did not give up.

He called for a critical re-evaluation of Joseph Stalin’s totalitarian rule. He had the Constitution amended to provide for the first competitive elections to Congress since 1922. He eliminated censorship of the press, eased restrictions on foreign travel, and amended the Constitution again to allow non-Communist parties to register for participation in the government.

And then, on the 9th of November, 1989, after three decades as a symbol of the division and foreboding collision between the east, dominated by the Soviet Union, and the west, led by the United States - on the 9th of November, 1989, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. And with it, largely due to the wisdom, courage, and bold leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, the Iron Curtain was soon torn asunder and Communism began to crumble.

In 1999 Gorbachev was in the state of Georgia to speak to Americans about what happened back then and what can happen between the east and the west in the future. As you know, if you remember history, he was forced to leave office, and, as most of us are well aware, there are deep and difficult problems yet to be resolved in the region once called the Soviet Union.

But I think it is important to remember that on the day he stepped up to the podium to speak to his people and then stepped down as the leader of the government, the former USSR and the reign of Communism officially ceased to exist. And that day was the 25th of December, Christmas Day, 1991.

I have no idea what Mikhail Gorbachev believes about God or about Jesus Christ or about the church. However, if the story about his christening back in 1931 is true, it would appear that God has had a great deal to do with and through that man’s life ever since.

So I ask you again: What difference can one person make in this world?

She was born on the 27th of August, 1910 in Skopje, Albania, one of the small and backward countries of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The next day, an Albanian priest poured water over her forehead and placed a grain of salt in her mouth, as was their custom. Her parents, Nikola and Drana, with great joy in their hearts, answered the question about what they would call their daughter. Her name was to be Agnes Gonxha Bejaxhiu, although that is not how the rest of the world came to know her. For she one day would become Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

She was consecrated a nun in 1928. The following year, she volunteered and was sent to India, and then received special permission from the Pope to begin the Missionaries of Charity in 1949. So Mother Teresa, a small woman just four feet, eleven inches tall, went to Calcutta, one of the world’s poorest cities, where she would minister to the sick and suffering and dying people on the streets.

During the nearly 70 years she lived in that place, Mother Teresa and her sisters reached out to the hungry and the homeless, to children gaunt like skeletons, to men and women who were helpless, and to older adults who were lonely and had lost all sense of hope. And not only did the Missionaries of Charity make a difference in Calcutta, they founded other, similar orders all across the world. When she visited Atlanta, Georgia in 1995 to encourage her sisters who operate a home for women with AIDS, one person who met her said, "There’s just no question - you truly can see Christ in her eyes." 

Although she did not seek fame, Mother Teresa became a Nobel Prize winner and one of the most recognized human beings in the world. And while she refused to receive any financial gains for herself, Mother Teresa did accept and also raised millions of dollars during her lifetime for the ministry to the poor. And when she died, on the 5th of September, 1997, all the world mourned as heaven rejoiced.

Our question this morning is this: What difference can one person make in this world?

Mikhail Gorbachev and Mother Teresa answered in their own way, and we, all of us, have the opportunity to give our answer as well, through the way that we live and the service we give to others who are in need.

Luke, the Gentile evangelist, answered with his gospel story, and nearly 2000 years later, we who are Gentiles can read his account with open eyes and open hearts and open minds.

But ultimately, there is one life which stands out above all the rest.

He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty-three when the public turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. He was laid in a borrowed grave. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of humanity on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

His name is Jesus, He is the Christ, and He is still alive and at work in this world. That is what the Christmas angel told those shepherds long ago, and so says the angel to all of us today, "Be not afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of Bethlehem, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11)

Back in the 1960’s when I was a college student, most of my friends would head for the beaches of South Carolina, (Myrtle beach and Ocean Drive were my favorites), during spring break.  I’d like to tell you I stayed behind on campus to study in the library and become educated beyond my intellegence, but that was not the case.  Instead, I slipped a few things into my backpack and drove south to the Carolina coast to pursue my continuing education there.

What I learned, among other things, was that the local hotels, restaurants and shops were glad to welcome us... a crowd of 60-70 thousand students... as long as we behaved ourselves (like that ever happened).  And to enhance the décor, there were signs on almost all of the doors and front windows which said: “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.”  And that’s the way it was back in the 1960’s, during spring break at the beach:  “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.”

A couple of days ago, I was emailed a cartoon from a friend... it was in a Christian magazine.   The cartoon pictures a sign on the front lawn of a large affluent church, and the words read:  “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation.”

As far fetched as that may seem... when we did alcohol and substance abuse classes for the Parole Board a young man related this personal experience to me... While he was incarcerated he came to the LORD through a prison outreach ministry from a “mega church” here in San Antonio.  They sent men into the prison units like Charlie goes into the Connelly Unit.  He began getting letters of encouragement from the Pastor of that church... and he could not wait to get out and thank the Pastor personally.  He was released from “The Walls” in Huntsville and immediately headed for San Antonio. His release was on a Thursday and he had no where to stay... he slept in the bus station and cleaned up the best he could but by Sunday morning he looked a little less than dapper.  He hitch hiked to the far north side of San Antonio where the Pastor whose letters had helped him had his church.  When he walked in he says he was greeted with surprising distain... when he asked to speak to the Pastor he was told to leave... now this young man had some issues that obviously landed him in prison and being told to do something like “leave the premises” was not received well.  He explained to me that when one of the “security” people grabbed his arm and began escorting him out the door he got mad and started an argument which landed him back in jail and that was deemed a parole violation and he went back to prison for six more months... He was unaware that the letters he received were computer generated and were not personally written to him. All he wanted to do was say thanks... but he didn’t fit in and that was his crime.

The thought occurred to me, reflecting back to the 1960’s, that just the opposite is and has been true of this ministry since our beginnings.  Back then, the beaches were full of not only thousands of college students but also those whom we used to call “Hippies.” They wore really bizarre clothes... hip huggers, bell bottoms, tank tops... wore flip flops or sandals or went bare foot... wow that sounds like the way teenagers dress now... hmmm... the more things change the more they stay the same.

Some of you are newer to this ministry, but those that have been with us for some time know that we don’t care how you dress we just pray you will hear HIS word and feel HIS presence while you are here.  I would say that today we are known as a church that embraces people from all walks of life, including homeless men, women and children right off the streets, who cannot afford to buy a shirt or a pair of shoes to wear on their feet.  Actually we are known as the ministry that doesn’t care... we don’t care what color you are... how you dress... (only that you do dress) or where you came from.  We’ll love you just the way you are... but like HIM, we’ll love you too much to leave you like you are.  We are to have servants hearts.

During His years of ministry on this earth, our Lord made it clear that He had come among us to serve.  In the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John, as Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples and closest friends, He took a towel and a basin and began to wash their feet.

When Peter resisted, Jesus told him and all the others that was the way it had to be.  And when He was finished, He sat back down, looked around that inner circle and said to them, If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you  (John 13:12-16, selected verses).  And as the story is told in Luke, chapter 22, Jesus concludes that sacramental lesson, saying I am among you as one who serves (verse 27).

Next to Bethlehem’s manger, Calvary’s cross and Easter’s empty tomb, we may be looking here at the most important scene in all of the New Testament.  Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life, with all the power of the universe in His hands, took a towel and a basin into those hands and bent down to wash His disciples’ feet.

That image is projected over and over and over again in the gospels – Jesus serving people in need, Jesus reaching out to lost and lonely human beings, Jesus healing the sick and the suffering folks around Him, Jesus bending down in humility to touch those who were poor, oppressed, forgotten and forsaken by their community.

An old German cowboy once described it as “downward mobility,” wherein Jesus loved, lived among, and identified with so many people who had been pushed out and left behind in that first century society.  I am among you as one who serves, He said.  And 2000 years later, He still calls all of us to do the same.

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being available and paying attention.  David McCombs, my Pastor and friend, one Monday morning, was rushing out the doors of the church to a meeting, he found a disheveled homeless man on the street who had no teeth, was carrying a plastic bag of rags over his shoulder and had one old shoe on his right foot.  David stopped for a moment, looked at him and said, “I see you have lost a shoe.”  The man looked back at David and with a toothless smile he answered, “No sir, I found one, in your garbage bin.”

Instantly, he realized what was happening to him, was right out of Matthew 25, when Jesus said, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my children, you have done it unto me.”  So David forgot about his important meeting, took that homeless man inside the church building where they helped him get proper clothing, a decent meal, two good shoes and an appointment with a dentist who belonged to the congregation.

I am blest to see that the same kind of ministry is happening right here, every day of every week and month throughout the year.  

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being available and paying attention.  Sometimes, it requires that we get organized and go to work on the root causes... sometimes it just takes a willingness to listen.

And sometimes, those who appear to have it all, to have it made, are the ones who need more help than we can imagine.

David tells a story about he and Judy in the early days as a pastor of a small rural church in Colorado.  He was just out of school and the congregation could barely pay his salary.

The McCombs had four small children, and one fall, just before school began, the washing machine broke down and in order to buy another, they had to use the money they had saved for their children’s shoes, which were worn out.  They scanned the newspapers for a second hand washing machine.  One was advertised, and David went to the address which was listed.

The house was large and pretentious, so much so that David was intimidated to ring the bell.  But he did, and a kind looking man answered.  David told him he had come to see the washing machine and he was invited inside.  They walked through the beautifully decorated rooms and hallways toward the laundry.  When the man and his wife offered to sell the washing machine for a mere fraction of what they had advertised, David, in an effort to express his gratitude, poured out his financial troubles and mentioned that his children had worn out their shoes.

As he was speaking, the woman left the room and David thought he heard her crying as she went out.  “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.  “No,” replied the husband.  “You didn’t say anything wrong.  It’s just that you were talking about your children’s shoes being worn out.  We had only one child, a little girl, and she was never able to walk a step in her brief life.  A pair of worn out shoes would have made us very happy.”

When David got home, he went up into his bedroom, closed the door, got down on his knees and thanked God for all the blessings he had received, including four pairs of worn out shoes.  

“No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service?”  Just the opposite is true in this church, because we believe what the Lord Jesus told us – that He “came among us to serve” and to show us how to do the same.

“No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation?”  To the contrary.  We believe in this church and this ministry that the Good News of the Gospel needs to be shared with people from all walks of life – across this small city of Somerset, throughout our county and as Jesus commanded before His ascension, To the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).  That is what this church and this ministry is all about, and we are grateful to GOD for supporting and sustaining it. We are to be as Jesus taught us... servants.  Our role is to demonstrate Christ like servant-hood... not just orate it.

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

If we’ve already blown an opportunity to be nice today, don’t worry! In life, as in my students’ experiment, we do get second chances to reach out to others. Try it, it’s fun!