The following are pieces taken out of my Sunday morning message. If you would like a full version let me know. Excuse the typos.
Title: Christmas Is Up To You
Text: Luke 2:8-20
Well, its Christmas time again. Here we are at the brink of another Holiday season. By the way, for many that is all it will be, a holiday season. A break from work. A two week vacation from school! As a matter of fact, many American citizens will not even recognize the birth of Jesus this Christmas (celebration of Christ).
My greatest concern is the attempt by Satan to distract, distort, confuse, and redirect the attention of Americans from the Historical American Judeo-Christmas celebration of Old (which has everything to do with Jesus), to a commercialized, fictionized, intolerant position against Jesus, social celebration.
If I am a Christian, how should I celebrate Christmas?
Answer: If you are a Christian, you should have already come to the conclusion that the Bible is God’s Word. It is all true, originated by God, and exists as a standard by which we live and make proper decisions. Therefore, in order to know how one should celebrate Christmas we have to ask the question:
What does the Bible say about Christmas?
1. The Bible does not use the word Christmas anywhere.
2. The Bible does not give us a date to celebrate the birth of Christ. If it did, the time would be much earlier than December. A call for registration would not be made during the winter months when traveling was very difficult.
Luke 2:1-3 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Most scholars agree that Jesus was born in the fall. Many settle on the month of September.
3. While the Bible doesn’t tell us when to celebrate Christmas, and the origin of December 25th may not be relative to the birth of Christ, this date has been set aside and should be used as a time to remember and enjoy the birth of our Lord Jesus.
4. The Bible does tell us how the birth of Christ was celebrated by those in that day.
I. The Angels
a. When Jesus was born the angels celebrated by praising God!
Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
b. Imagine the sound of a multitude of heavenly host saying in unison, “Glory
to God in the highest.”
c. The word multitude represents thousands and probably a number the
human mind cannot even fathom.
Application: According to the angels of Heaven, Christmas is a time of praise. As the people of God we ought to celebrate Christmas by praising God for the One called Immanuel (meaning: God with us.)
II. The Shepherds
a. The shepherds took time to go to Bethlehem.
Luke 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
· In our fast pace society we barely have time to go shopping much less time to go to Bethlehem.
· I’m not talking about getting on a plane and flying to Israel. That would be neat, but not realistic! I’m talking about sitting down as a family and reading the story of Christmas. Observing the details and remembering how our King (Jesus) was introduced to our world.
· Children need to hear the true story of Christmas. They need their parents to take them to Bethlehem so that when they are grown, such a place will exist in their hearts. America is sneaking farther away from the true meaning of Christmas each year that passes.
· Will our great, great grandkids really know what Christmas is about? Take the time to go to that manger in Bethlehem where the Savior of the world was born.
b. The shepherds took time to tell others about the birth of Christ.
Luke 2:17-18 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Conclusion: How is Christmas up to you?
1. It is up to you how you celebrate it.
2. It is up to you whether or not the true meaning of Christmas will be passed on to generations to come.
Title: Christmas Is Up To You
Text: Luke 2:8-20
Well, its Christmas time again. Here we are at the brink of another Holiday season. By the way, for many that is all it will be, a holiday season. A break from work. A two week vacation from school! As a matter of fact, many American citizens will not even recognize the birth of Jesus this Christmas (celebration of Christ).
My greatest concern is the attempt by Satan to distract, distort, confuse, and redirect the attention of Americans from the Historical American Judeo-Christmas celebration of Old (which has everything to do with Jesus), to a commercialized, fictionized, intolerant position against Jesus, social celebration.
If I am a Christian, how should I celebrate Christmas?
Answer: If you are a Christian, you should have already come to the conclusion that the Bible is God’s Word. It is all true, originated by God, and exists as a standard by which we live and make proper decisions. Therefore, in order to know how one should celebrate Christmas we have to ask the question:
What does the Bible say about Christmas?
1. The Bible does not use the word Christmas anywhere.
2. The Bible does not give us a date to celebrate the birth of Christ. If it did, the time would be much earlier than December. A call for registration would not be made during the winter months when traveling was very difficult.
Luke 2:1-3 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Most scholars agree that Jesus was born in the fall. Many settle on the month of September.
3. While the Bible doesn’t tell us when to celebrate Christmas, and the origin of December 25th may not be relative to the birth of Christ, this date has been set aside and should be used as a time to remember and enjoy the birth of our Lord Jesus.
4. The Bible does tell us how the birth of Christ was celebrated by those in that day.
I. The Angels
a. When Jesus was born the angels celebrated by praising God!
Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
b. Imagine the sound of a multitude of heavenly host saying in unison, “Glory
to God in the highest.”
c. The word multitude represents thousands and probably a number the
human mind cannot even fathom.
Application: According to the angels of Heaven, Christmas is a time of praise. As the people of God we ought to celebrate Christmas by praising God for the One called Immanuel (meaning: God with us.)
II. The Shepherds
a. The shepherds took time to go to Bethlehem.
Luke 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
· In our fast pace society we barely have time to go shopping much less time to go to Bethlehem.
· I’m not talking about getting on a plane and flying to Israel. That would be neat, but not realistic! I’m talking about sitting down as a family and reading the story of Christmas. Observing the details and remembering how our King (Jesus) was introduced to our world.
· Children need to hear the true story of Christmas. They need their parents to take them to Bethlehem so that when they are grown, such a place will exist in their hearts. America is sneaking farther away from the true meaning of Christmas each year that passes.
· Will our great, great grandkids really know what Christmas is about? Take the time to go to that manger in Bethlehem where the Savior of the world was born.
b. The shepherds took time to tell others about the birth of Christ.
Luke 2:17-18 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Conclusion: How is Christmas up to you?
1. It is up to you how you celebrate it.
2. It is up to you whether or not the true meaning of Christmas will be passed on to generations to come.
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