Restoration Sermon | Love That Came Down | A Wear World Rejoices

At the heart of the Christmas story lies a profound truth that we often miss in the tinsel and traditions: God didn't send us a manual or a motivational speech to fix our broken world. Instead, He moved into the neighborhood. John 1:14 reminds us that 'the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us'—or as Eugene Peterson beautifully paraphrases it, 'moved into the neighborhood.' This isn't about God shouting His love from a distance; it's about Emmanuel, God with us, entering into the mess of our lives. The incarnation teaches us that real love doesn't wait for things to be cleaned up before showing up. It arrives in the chaos, sits with us in our grief, walks with us through confusion, and stands with us in our weakness. When we feel unseen, forgotten, or too far gone, the Christmas story declares that God sees us, remembers us, and proved His love by becoming touchable, interruptible, and even crucifiable for us. This message challenges us to receive God's gift of love—not after we've figured everything out, but right now in our doubts and uncertainties. Then it calls us to dwell with Christ and ultimately to love others the same way He loved us: by moving toward them in their mess, just as He moved toward us in ours.