O Holy Night
Notes
Transcript
How many of you have Christmas traditions?
watch certain movies
bake cookies
Christmas morning traditions
Anyone have a tradition specifically to point their heart toward Christ?
Anyone else get bothered by the commercialization of Christmas?
It’s easy to look at the COMPANIES and criticize them for taking away from the message of Christmas
I think 2020 has opened MY eyes to see what I considered important about Christmas
An easy way to look at it is:
WHAT WOULD RUIN YOUR CHRISTMAS?
WHAT WOULD RUIN YOUR CHRISTMAS?
no gifts
no family time
no Christmas eve church service
What is REQUIRED for Christmas?
There’s a song “O Holy Night”
It’s about the ONE THING I believe is NECESSARY for Christmas:
JESUS
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
NOTHING is more important for Christmas than what happens here
Every year we spend over a month in the “Christmas Season”
Celebrating this glorious event
When was the last time you were truly MOVED by the events of Christmas?
The song says:
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘til He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn”
HALLELUJAH!!! THE SAVIOR IS BORN!!!
If that’s not enough to move us to worship this Christmas season...
Maybe we’ve lost the true meaning of Christmas
We’ve blamed it on department stores, Hollywood, culture, etc...
But if we’re HONEST,
Jesus just hasn’t been enough for us...
If WE, who have eternal hope in Christ, can’t be satisfied with only Jesus at Christmastime...
How can we expect the world to hold this holiday sacred?
If WE allow all the other STUFF to get in the way...
We shouldn’t be surprised when the world takes it even further...
27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
The untrained and unworthy shepherds didn’t even know the fully story...
Yet just a PIECE of the story sent them into full evangelism mode!!!
How much more should we, WHO HAVE THE WHOLE STORY, be moved to tell others about it?!?!
I get it...
This year has been TOUGH
I don’t want to discount the trials many of us are going through
As a matter of fact, I’ve been praying this verse over us as a church:
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,
A shocking number of us have had to bury loved ones this year...
We’ve had less family time...
More than a few of us are struggling financially...
A LOT of us are struggling emotionally...
My prayer is:
You will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with JOY
CONCLUSION:
Christmas is almost here...
Who has had a BETTER Christmas because of your influence in their life?
Who has been reminded of the MEANING of Christmas because of your influence?
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Whose Christmas have you salted with the Good News of Christ?
Whose darkness have you shed a light into?
This isn’t meant to make us feel guilty or shameful:
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
May that be a definition of the love you share this Christmas season
Be the light of JOY in someone’s Christmas this year!!!