Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro:
Today we will continue our series entitled, [God’s Christmas Gifts].
The subject of today’s message is [The Church].
Since I am on this topic of God’s Christmas Gifts, I have thought back to Christmas as a child.
There was nothing like Christmas Eve in the Tidmore house.
We always went to Grandma Tidmore’s house, where we knew we would get gifts.
My Grandma always tried to get us something special.
I remember one year in the afternoon, Stephen, Hannah, and I were in one of the bedrooms.
We had a 19” TG&Y tv.
Dad came in and said, “Your mama and I have talked about it, you don’t keep your room clean like we ask.
We have decided to take your TV until you can keep your room clean all the time.”
You would have thought they wanted to take a limb.
We pleaded and cried, PLEASE, we PROMISE we will keep the room clean.
Give us ONE MORE chance!
Dad said, NOPE!
That night I remember being sad going to Grandmas.
We got through dinner and it was time for presents.
Grandma told us, Stephen, Daniel, and Hannah, this year I got one thing for all three of you.
Guess what she got us?
A brand new TV.
I can still remember my dad laughing.
I suppose he knew we were getting a new TV.
Every year on the way home we would look for Rudolph’s nose on the way home.
We would look at Christmas lights.
Then when we got home, we put out the milk and cookies and nine carrots in case the reindeer got hungry, then it was off to bed.
The next morning we would wake up early.
Mom and dad always put a sheet up blocking the living room so we would be surprised.
When we walked it, there were presents everywhere!
As a child I took this for granted.
But as we got older, mom and dad explained their parents did not have much.
There many years they didn’t get much for Christmas, so they worked hard to make sure we had a better Christmas than they did.
As we have established the past two weeks, Jesus is the greatest gift ever given to humanity!
When we come to know Him though, He gives more gifts.
Jesus encouraged His audience, ask the Father to give good gifts, He will do it, I promise.
But we must be persistent in our requests, not giving up until He answers.
There are sometimes I go to God in prayer and I know just exactly what I need.
Then there are times I go to Him and ask, Lord, I want what you want me to have.
I have learned when I pray that way, He exceeds my expectations.
For instance, when Jesus was born, God began to introduce an institution that was beyond comprehension.
Even if the people prayed for it, they could not have imagined how important this gift would become in history.
The gift I want us to see is: The Church.
The church revolutionized the way people worshipped God.
Prior to His birth, God’s people did meet, but it was in the synagogue, which is different than the church.
When they went to the synagogue, they had strict service schedule:
confession of faith
reciting specific scriptures {Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21, Numbers 15:37-41}
Prayer
Scripture reading
Interpretation of Scripture
Opening for comments
Blessing
The synagogue was not inclusive.
It required ten men to even have one.
It was for Jews or Jewish converts, Gentiles were not welcome unless they prepared to follow the Law.
Women were separated from men.
The whole thing was founded on ritual.
I am thankful we are not a ritualistic church.
Instead, we build on our relationship with Jesus and our desire for more of Him helps us grow in relationship with each other!
Jesus birth came to fulfill all the ritual and make a way for His people enter into a personal relationship with God, which occurs at salvation.
What happens after we are saved?
We should want to go to church!
As we focus Luke 1-2, I want us to see four things we have in the church that God revealed with Jesus’ birth.
What do we have in the church?
[The People of God], [The Praise of God], [The Proclamation of God], and [The Prayers to God].
Let’s begin
1.
The People of God
After the announcement by the Angel Gabriel, Mary could not wait to tell Elizabeth.
Both Mary and Elizabeth were related, but they were also walking close to God.
Elizabeth was older, past they age of having children, and God supernaturally allowed her and her husband to get pregnant.
Mary knew this, and now she too was pregnant.
When she walked into the house to greet Elizabeth, the baby in her womb leapt and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Mary couldn’t hold it in, she started to share all God did for her.
As she spoke, Elizabeth’s heart was stirred and she begin to bless the Lord for His goodness to both of them.
I want us to see the importance of this spiritual relationship.
There is an old song that says, “I love the thrill that I feel when I get with God’s wonderful people.”
As the people of God, we need to come to church!
When the people of God come together in the church, we should encourage and build up each other.
The church is not a social gathering, it is a place where we come to worship the Lord.
Part of our worship is sharing what God did in our lives with each other.
How can we do this?
By remembering we are the people of God EVERY DAY, not just Sunday!
Mary and Elizabeth shared what God did in each other’s lives.
When we walk with God on a daily basis, then we can meet together and share what God did for us the past week!
Who is thankful for the church?
In the church are the people of God.
2. The Praise of God
After Mary and Elizabeth shared God’s blessings, Mary began to praise the Lord.
Mary’s song is called the Magnificat.
There is a biblical precedent for praising God.
Let’s look at the details of Mary’s praise:
She praised God for noticing her.
She rejoiced in God because He paid attention to her.
We have to think of how awesome this was for Mary.
As a woman, she was all but ignored in the synagogue.
But God took notice on her.
He saw her faithfulness and determined to bless her.
She praised God for His holiness.
There is no God like our God.
He is set apart, for He is might and does great things.
She praised God for His mercy.
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