Christmas Spirit

Father we love you. We praise you this morning. We thank you for all that you do. We do. Thank you for the gift of Christmas at the ladies. Just something about and it is a present for all of us. It's a gift and that is Christmas and it is Jesus father. We do remember the Hunts this morning and asked you to touch them to help them feel better father. We want to focus right now, though on simply the Khan family are our missionaries. They have had kind of rough, since I've been in Nigeria healthwise. We know father your all-knowing and have a plan. So we trust you, but we pray this morning is United Church for them that you would heal Kayla and that you would protect them and give them good health so that they might serve you they just want to help the children their help the kids to know Jesus though father this morning as a church. We lift up that family to you, and we just asked you to heal them and to touch them and be with them Father right now speak to us from your word in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Please be seated.

There a lot of traditions that go with Christmas and one of them is Christmas spirit. You will hear people say I'm in the Christmas spirit or what is the Christmas spirit? I've got the Christmas spirit. Sometimes it's even what you wear. Right? Did you get these things and all somebody's Christmas spirit and flashing and and in the this goes on for a while, I forgot. So anyway, but the bottom line is Christmas spirit. What is it? We know what it's not sometimes sometimes in Scrooged. The opposite would help us understand what Christmas spirit is not I guess with Scrooge everybody is what's his famous phrase, you know it. How do you say about the most people do Bob humbug? So they know that Scrooge doesn't have Christmas spirit. But what is Christmas spirit isn't just being nice as it is it certain things? What is the true Christmas? Spirit Psalm? 118:24 tells us this is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice we will rejoice be glad in it, but that's not really Christmas spirit because God is telling us to do that everyday. Baby, Joyce part of Christmas but that's not the essence of Christmas spirit. One of the things it's finally good finally good and I think this is the power of Christmas. This is the power of Jesus is that the world is pretty good on Christmas mean by that is if you would think of things that happened during Christmas or four or five things that are done the world kind of lines up with the Bible for a change just on Christmas. And once again, I think that's the power of the birth of Christ. What do I mean by that? Well, what other things about Christmas is joy. Everybody says, it's a joyful time of year will Psalm 100 verse 1 and 2 tells us get What Make a Joyful Shout to the Lord All Ye Lands into his serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with what singing So we see the world's depicted in all the world idea of Christmas of joy is in the Bible a second one. The world does is giving right. We give presents the world does that in the church tells us in 2nd Corinthians? 9:7 guess what that one give us he purposes and heart not begrudging out of necessity for God loves or what a cheerful Giver the third one the world would tell you is it guess what? It's about family. Well, I guess that's the same in the church in Genesis. We read and behold the word of the Lord came to him saying this one should not be your Heir but one who will come from your own body Shelby your are our families come from what God. So here this is this is nice for a change the world is lining up with God couple of other ones help the less fortunate right Christmas time. Everybody likes to do a little something for somebody that doesn't have James chapter 1 verse 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God the father is this to visit orphans and widows in their trouble in the keep oneself unspotted from the world. So they help the Widow and the poor to give a little bit during the holiday season. And then the last thing I guess if we would sum up a lot of things there's food. There's gift as rest as celebrations Christmas is all about those things and then in James 1 16 and 17. We figure out do not be deceived my beloved Brethren every good and perfect gift comes from what above everything about Christmas is Jesus. So finally the world lines up with the Bible during Christmas season, and I think that's the power of the birth of Jesus Christ. But still what is Christmas spirit? What really does it mean to have Christmas spirit as a Christian? Well, let's look at Luke 22 14 and 15 and look at the very first beginning of Christmas Jesus Christ. And you might say pastor. This is Easter. This is when he was dying. This is Good Friday, but what did Jesus say about his birth? I was born for this purpose. I came into the world to what save man. What was the announcement of his birth run to you? What a savior is born. You will give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their what sends so he's very birth is about his death, but I would just tell you that Christmas spirit started right here and Luke 22:14. On the hour, sat down at 12 possums with him. And then he said to them with fervent desire. I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer and we read this verse a few weeks ago and I wanted to bring it back because noticed fervent desire. I've desired what does that have to do with Christmas spirit? It has to do with the fact that Jesus Christ knew all that. He was going to go through yet. He was excited about it because he wanted to give a gift to others. A present actually to you and me a present that we read about that. We heard just a few minutes ago and song that Mary wrapped a present for us. You know what Christmas spirit really is Christmas spirit is because you know Christ you put other people first. And what we have to really understand if there's something lacking in the body of Christ that has to be rekindled and hopefully through Christmas and will last forever. We have got to start to have a heart for serving other people. I'm just doing it because you have to but really wanting to do it to desire to do to to do stuff. I'm sorry. I can't I can't that's a pretty I almost slid across the stage. But I don't have the right kind of shoes on it even makes me laugh as I've been teaching my daughter and my granddaughters Escape we put her socks on and skate around the house, right? So, okay. Alright. Take those old records off the shelf. What I tell you the old records we need to take off. The shelf is simply this we need to start thinking of serving others deeper than this myself fighting Cell. It is amazing how quick we revert back to just thinking of ourselves. Do you know to really serve people? It's not the action that has to change its your heart. You got to want to do that. You got to want to serve and do for other people and I often wonder in my capable of that. Am I capable of serving other people? And of course the greatest thing we have to serve is what what is the greatest thing you want I need to do to serve other people help them get saved. It's always about that. We have to sir. We have the greatest gift. We have to help people see Christ 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 22 To the weak. I became weak that I might win the week. I have become what all things to all men that they might what am I get safe, but I might save some all things to all men. I want to serve people for one major reason to show them Cry 3 with everything that you do. It's got to be centered around that with everything that you do. You want to make sure that you are simply thinking about serving other people to find Christ matter fact, we read this also last week and Lord keeps giving a couple of sermon versus again don't worry folks is not cuz I'm out of versus he's our emphasis maybe when you read them twice in the Bible and forces if God gives us to his two times in a row its emphasis in Mark chapter 10 verse 43 through 45. It shall not be among you who desires to become a great Monday. She'll be servant and whoever desires to be first Shelby slave of all or even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many we must have a servant's heart. Be a Christian. I wondered about myself. I'm disappointed in me. Sometimes I've decided got to change towards a few people one of the hardest persons to be nice to sometimes as your own spouse. Can I get an amen? Not all right, go get that. We love them the most yet. They're the hardest to be nice to but one of the things don't pick on them so much. It's not that they're so bad. Guess who you around the most? Just so you know, the problem is not really them, but the problem is because you're around them the most in a matter of time. You're going to Resort back to being guess what you That's the problem you want to be nice. But because they're around you so much sooner or later. You going to go back to the old you and the old you self and that is the biggest problem in couples is that one will think the other selfish? And Celtics over and so what happened? My wife is famous for this Pat's good to me, but Pat's famous for this. I'll be getting up to get some out of fridge and paddle be like, hey, can you give me that candy?

Control yourself. Now. We just starting out here. Somebody lost and Roll Tide is famous for I'm going to the garage pick up that piece of clothing for me. It's all day long. I feel like I'm getting things for her. You know, I'm just so it gets on my nerves after a while, right?

Are you got to be kidding me? So I started taking notes after this is the 17 things I've done for you this morning. I asked for some ice, but the problem is once again, it's the truth is this the reason we have trouble with kids family and stuff is not that they're that bad and we don't love them. We resort to being ourselves. But you know where help came on the way for me where God said you can do this pastor. I said, what do you mean you can't have a servant's heart all the time. That's it was show me how he said your granddaughters? Now it is funny. I with my granddaughter's it is chain Sophia more than Ariana cuz Sophia lives with me. I was laying down the other night about 10 at night and we have a dog in the street. We got a child cage then we put up just cuz we don't have your keys in my room at night, but I'm sitting down already asleep. My granddaughter pokes her head and says Papa need some popcorn.

That's all she does is watching TV with her mom in the room. I get out of bed. Go get the microwave popcorn microwave it up. Go put it in there and isley's even almost as bad.

Back at the bol bol there. I'm getting ready to go to bed Turn Around Sophia. This is Papa. Yeah. Love you.

Enough butter on that popcorn for you, sweetie. Hey, man, 10 minutes later. I'm asleep. She certainly times Papa need an ice pack. I get up go to the fridge she standing by there. So thanks Popeye. Get her ice pack cuz her arm was hurting so I spec but what I've noticed when I try to think about is very seldom does when Sophia ask anything from me does it bother? I know it doesn't bother me. I go out of my way for her all the time. I constantly am serving her. I'm happy to do it. I do it to see a smile on her face and I started to say I guess what I guess I am capable of enjoying serving others. I just have to move it into all areas of my life member. I told you the biggest gift we have is helping unsafe people get saved. And what is God tell us about unsafe people there lost their like lost little children. They're like helpless. They almost like Sophia when it comes spiritually and we should be overjoyed to do whatever we can to help them put a smile on their face when they finally see who Christ it. We've got a chain what I've started to tell myself is, you know, my it because Sophie is a little child. Yes, that stuff gets me excited. But my wife in the order of things God comes first in my wife, I've decided I'm going to always do for my wife. I'm not saying that but I'm going to change it into wanting to do it. I'm going to change it in the wanting to server. I want to get her a glass antique. I want to do all the things I want to do special stuff for her all the time. I'm going to start to serve people in my life and enjoy doing it. That's the change we've got certain people Mary. We've got to start to want to do it because you got to think about something. What is written in your DNA that you don't get about sending you is you still enjoy doing for yourself more than anybody else? You do you don't think about it. But you do the reason you just think of little things like when you're out shopping cars getting you awake you go ballistic as if they have the nerve to be on the road. When you go to stores in the lines long at all these people here don't they know who I am all of its written subconsciously inside of you, but you have to do Do you have real Christmas spirit is allow God to change your heart. I'm going to use my granddaughter's to continually the remind me and I don't need to do for people but to like doing for people to look, you know, my dad used to always laugh about this, you know, my dad would call me to the kitchen when I was young boy. He says, how long are you going to wait for the trash to be overflowed to take it out? And then my quick into I'm already dead. You didn't tell me you always told me to do whatever you told me to do. I need the dad. My dad's always ready. I didn't tell you to wipe your butt this morning. I hope you did. Oh you're always ready for you is like have some common sense. If the trash is falling all over you don't smell it pick it up take it out. And it's the same with serving. You should do with a good spirit sometimes, you know, what needs to be done to it Ariana spent the night the other last Sunday night at my house. I got up and I was getting ready for church and she was sleeping and relaxing sleep on the couch. She was on the couch. He started waking up and looked at me so many kids you gave me a smile. She started walking over to the kitchen half asleep and she went to look in the cabinet and she started laughing. She said Papa I had her her little love cereal her Cocoa Puffs already out on her Cocoa Puffs in her bowl and the milk, you know what I like and she just went back to her room and her couch put a blanket around her to drug her chairs his little chair. I brought her cereal popped in on there with some orange juice and then she was just turn on the TV put on PAW Patrol and I'm walking away and this is what she tells me cracks me up because you can't live without me.

I felt like saying girl, you better you better get it together here. See, but she told me something is true. You know what I like how many people in your life. Do you know what they like? How many people do you know how you can serve it's time to God's people have Christmas spirit and Christmas spirit is a servant's heart all the time something we should enjoy doing. We should look for opportunities to do for other people Peter made the biggest mistake of all what did Jesus say? What did he simply tell him feed my what? How do you fix how you mess up serve people? Take care. What is sheep constantly need to be guided served fed taken care of all Jesus that don't worry about everything. You messed up. You want to be a Christian help people and not just help them enjoy doing look for ways to do it. There are people here at the church that are just always so kind to me and little ways George A lot of times that he would come meet with me would bring me a Coke Linda used to see me get out of my car at church. I have my coat my books my coffee trying to juggle it Linda lot of times now goes out to meet me and we'll take my coffee out my hand or if I don't have coffee Linda goes makes a coffee for me. I don't know what you put into it. But I feel a little funny when she makes her coffee Dallas of family normally go someplace. I'll come back. They bring me a sandwich Larry there came over here Laurel the other day to help me out with something people just serving and they serve with a smile we can do it. Amen, you can do it, but you have got to decide it's what you want to do. That's what you have to decide you have been and then when you decide that you can't do it on your own but there's a great verse. What does he say? I can do all things. Who what strengthens me do you want to have the Heart of Jesus Jesus started Christmas by saying I'm going to enjoy this crossed so I can give a present to everybody. Me and you need endorse selfishness. We need to stop being so selfish. We need to have real Christmas spirit which is to do for everybody and I tell you I can't you know, there's other things I do. My granddaughter's at the house very I never I was going to put up no Christmas lights this year. I just put up a tree. I got more Christmas lights in my front yard. Why because my granddaughter's at Papa. I like to have some lights down at Lowe's right. I'm going to spend a whole day down at Lowe's getting lights and I'm happy about it and we can do it. We can do it. If our heart or if we decide to do it look at psalm 51:10. Psalms 51:10 create in me a clean heart o God and renew a steadfast Spirit within me. You want a servant's heart? What do you think Jesus gave you the holy spirit for to change you change your heart to enjoy doing for other people not just doing it. But enjoy doing it. I tell you one of the things that I'd really like to do for Christmas is not to forget. We have the greatest gift and Acts chapter 3 verse 3 through 6. Look at some people approached John and Peter Doocy and Peter and John coming to Temple the ass for all these are people needing some money and fix his eyes on him with John and Peter said look at us so he gave them as attention expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said silver and gold I don't have but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and of course, he healed the lame man, but it's really a picture of what me and you can do a lot of people we might not be able to give him everything we want. They want the folks We Got The Greatest Secret of all We can give them Jesus Christ and change your life forever. But I tell you the number one thing that starts the number one thing that starts your witnessing is a servant's heart serving people being kind of people going out of your way for people. I don't know about you but Christmas is about putting smiles on other people's faces. I'm looking forward to the change in my life. I'm not sitting here talking myself up or down I normally do for people but what I what I what I realized that I've Got A Change Is I want to enjoy doing it like for Sophia. I want to enjoy doing it like for my grandkids. I'm going to change the way I do things for Pat. I probably not going to say this in the second service when I'm here because I don't even know she might take advantage of that a man. I can I can hear Pat saying mitosis a little too. Well, then. Yeah, I'm going to give you some toast a man. I'm going to butter that toast. All right, but the bottom line is so we worry though. What is the real worried about becoming a real servant? I'm joking about Pappa. What are we worried about subconsciously was so selfish. What if they take advantage of us or we worried about something else? When do I get something? When does something go right for me will look at with Mark 9 Sum 41 tries to tell you about when you do this for God never gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ. Truly I say to you. He will by no means lose his reward price of saying if you live this way don't ever worry about being repaid down here. I will keep account of everything you do for everybody what we talked about. I love a cheerful giver and I love a cheerful what surfing cheerful servant Linda George all the people I mentioned it did little things with their heart with a big smile on crises it and that's all you ever want to know folks the Christ season. You don't do it for that reason, but he sees it I would tell you that you don't want to ever stop doing for others. Do you want to go out of your way to do that? For others with a smile on your face? You want to look for opportunities to serve other people often times will do certain things around the house. I wash clothes believe it or not. I grocery shop believe it or not. And what I've had to change by my attitude is sometimes I get tired of doing those things. But you got to realize is one day my daughter my granddaughter going to be gone and then I might be washing one close or how many, you know, I might enjoy that. Only one load a week and you man but guess what do you think? I'm going to enjoy doing one load a week. I'd rather have four loads and have Sophia at home. I do for loads any day of the week. Guess what when I get a chance to do something for them put a smile on your face do something for other people to write me have a servant's heart kids bow kids Christmas. Are we running our kids sometimes with Christmas kids gets so much stuff. I don't know about you, but my grandkids have got like four or five Christmases that our house the other house my sister's house that house they get more presents in the Christmas and I probably got my entire Christmas career a man. I got to be careful that we don't misunderstand Christmas and teach him the big thing which is they need to serve they need to do for others. I'm so excited about Sophia though. She came home and they had a Christmas shop at our school and she was able to go buy Papa a present and she is so proud of the present. She got me. I haven't found been trying to figure out what it is. I can't a man that nobody's giving any clues, but the bottom line is let them serve let them learn to give please do that. Look at 1st Corinthians 15:58 the biggest first. I want you to go home with today about serving. It tells you the secret therefore my beloved Brethren be steadfast unmovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. What does it say steadfast immovable means don't stop doing this. Don't let anything stop you from serving. I to this day folks most people stop coming to a church or stop doing it at church because somebody else upset Don't ever let anybody stop you. You don't work for the church. You don't work for other people you work for Christ. And you don't stop serving, you know, it's funny some people sometimes it will I used to do this. I don't even do it anymore. What is Christ stop serving you? You drop dead by the way of Christ Ops folks. He doesn't ever let you down. You don't ever stop. So that's the first thing I try to tell you if your Christian always do something for God why knowing that your labor for the Lord is not what in lame God sees what you're doing. That's who you work for. You don't ever stop serving. God matter fact, you should look for opportunities to serve God thought I would tell you with all that being said what's going on in the church today? I'll come we have so many times people are needs that can't be met. I'll come in your own lives your family as things that need to be done young people. Please change that don't have to be told to do stuff look for stuff to do. My uncle snooker use passed away in Men In Heaven is one of my favorite uncles that his name's actually Andrew but his nickname was Snooki. I like Snooki better whenever we'd return to Boston every three years because my dad was in the military used to work 7 days a week on a power plant as a welder back East. It was just one of those guys my grandfather built war war 2 ships in Boston Harbor and my grandfather one thing he wasn't always a nice man, but one thing you taught my my dad and his brothers was hard work those School hard work a lot of you know, it's, my uncle worked 18 hours a week every day of his life. I never knew Anythink his wife's a registered nurse. So they just work work work. But whenever I come to town every 2-3 Years cuz he had three daughters always wanted a son. He would spoil the Daylights out of me. He would take 2-3 days off. Those are beaten understand how special this is. It would take me to Fenway Park in Boston to go. Watch a Reggie Jackson play. I mean great baseball players we go to Fenway Park early in the day. He take me all over we eat. It's been when we have family barbecues. It was tradition. My dad's family the grown-ups got steaks the kids got hot dogs and hamburgers. It was just as our old religion against take all my nieces and nephews would look at me like that and he would just tell him I don't have him with me all the time. You guys are here all the time. I get a big old steak and I accidentally the right in front of him a man. I do almost like a prison movie. I'd leave a little bit around the balance. I who wants it so that the kids will gather around here if it was ugly, but I like it anyway for me one thing though and I made many mistakes. But one thing I would go out of my way to do he had a big piece of property and I know how hard you work and head girl. I would always get the lawn mower and it would be my joy to have his whole lawn cut before he got home. It would take like 5 hours cuz that guy had one of those big old but my point was I got more happiness out of him coming home and me being able to tell him you got done and I was almost like a puppy.

That was one of the few things I did right? I'm not saying that I would tell you kids. Why don't you look for stuff to do for your parents without them asking? Why don't you do something? You see some dirty dishes in the sink. You don't have to be asked love to do you see you don't realize how tired your parents get some time to do something for somebody. My father when I take him to Luke Air Force Base once a month, sometimes it's a pain in the butt right now. I got to go over and get my dad take him out of wheelchair put them in the other picture will them up get in the car put them there go back and get his stuff. Go back go to the bass guitar. I got to go in a certain stores for him come out the other day. I remember he wanted something to my dad and mom always never want what they have. They want something special cuz we live in Europe. So it's find out if they have creme de leite if you have claimed it already. What are you talking about Sir? So then I get the lady to go out to the car with my dad and my dad tells her in the lady says I still don't know what your father is talking about his I don't either to take my dad to the base and bring them back this six-hour day. Do you know and I'm just guess what one day my dad's going to be gone.

And instead about a complaining. And I really we my denim have a pretty good time. But to me I need to do that with joy with joy have fun. Enjoy it do things me and my dad do all kind of crazy stuff. We went to restaurant the other day in the girl came over and she said something real soft and my dad couldn't hear and I looked at the girl that said my dad was in a war war a grenade went off in his helmet. He can't hear too. Good girl. Look at that. And I said dad. Can you hear me? My dad went?

Newborn girls laugh and we laugh so hard on lunch time. And so she would come over from then on screaming at him.

Have a good time. But serve people with the right heart and gods told me you better change your heart every time you go pick your dad up. But enjoy the time that you have together. It's a it's a great joy. How many times did your dad work two jobs so you can have what you need when you pick his feet up to put him in a chair when you pick him up when you go do things for him. You should be overjoyed to be able to pay back a partial small bit of what your father did for you for so many years. It's a joy to do for others kids change that Christians change at start serving your husband and wife realize how many of you still open doors and stuff like that. You know what I mean? How many of you do it without with a choice. You know why it's not telling you you better open that door. You ain't got nothing to eat and you should do. With joy, just you should be overjoyed to to do certain things. I member in Italy we lived in old houses made out of marble and the heat didn't work. My mother who's in heaven for 12 years now used to go and put towels on the manual heater on the end of the hallway, but you would take those toasty towels open up our beds wrap our legs in the towel and put it up. Oh my goodness that was toast in heaven right there. A man warm feet would be so warm cuz the house was so cold cuz tomorrow I was almost torture cuz they when you didn't want to get out of bed babysitting their Whippany, That was a fight half the time but man little things of serving people to make them, What do you do to make somebody else's life easy? What do you do to bring a smile to other people's face going out of your way you need to you want Christmas spirit? It's a servant's heart. Tallest servant's heart thing Jesus here. I am I want to do for other people to put a smile on your face, but also to eventually get to a place where I can tell them about you. I'm telling you when you do for others with a smile that's unusual a man. What a lot of people do nowadays. If you do something really nice for other people with a smile. What are they up to a man? But if you do it right in time, then you can tell them guess what it ain't me doing for you Jesus giving me a new heart and I love to do for other people up to you this one. Let's see if you want to have church if our heads close our eyes because remember create in me a new heart is up to God. I'll pray you follow me Father. We love you and we praise you we thank you today for starting Christmas spirit. We thank you that you knew what you wanted to give a present to us more than anything else and it didn't matter what it cost you we knew you that you did it as you told the disciples how much you desired beat that Passover with them? Father as long as we're in this body, there's so much sending us and selfishness. We're not going to overcome it completely. But you did give us your Holy Spirit to help us father ask you to forgive me and my own life or how selfish I am all the time. The father you did show me that the way I treat my granddaughter's it is possible for me to change but I need to do it with the power of the Holy Spirit father. I would ask you this morning as David did now it's your turn to ask your own prayer, but I want this father change my heart. Create me a new heart. Give me true Christmas spirit. Give me a servant's heart. Don't mean to be like you to serve others. Joyfully and father asked you to put at the front of that my family and my church family, but I might do for them all the time thinking of them first and really represent you correctly. Thank you Lord for all you've done for me. Help me to be a Christmas servant this year to serve other. We love you and praise you. These are your people or you'll take it from here in Jesus name. Amen.