Sunday, December 23, 2018 - I’m Dreaming of a Right Christmas
Pastor Roger Marcos
December 23, 2013
Yes, CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION is worldwide.. but not in a right way - to those who don’t believe the Virgin birth Christmas are far from a real meaning.
The Song like "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Jingle Bells," and "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" all communicate that Christmas time is to Be A Joyous, Trouble-Free Season.
What Is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.
CHRISTMAS BEGAN IN THE HEART OF GOD.
To Celebrate the heart of Christmas is to Forget ourselves in the Service of others.- Henry Link
What is it that makes a Right Christmas? We all know that without Christ there is not Christmas. The virgin born son of God is the reason that we are here in this service.
I want to give you some ideas on how you can have a right Christmas you don’t have to just dream about. It is better to have a right Christmas than to have a White Christmas. WHY?
Now, if we are to have a RIGHT CHRISTMAS, certain things must be place in that Christmas. Let us follow the gospel story and see what Right Christmas INCLUDES.
Text: Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He Will Save His People from their Sins.” Matthew 1:21 NKJV
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, (the promise deliverer) the Lord. Luke 2:11 NIV
More than 2,000 years ago, God sent his Son to the world to provide salvation to all; the best Christmas gift ever given. You can receive this gift if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and ask him into your life. HE IS THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT, Beyond Compare!
Now, if you want to have a “Right Christmas Celebration” certain thing to consider about the birth of Christ.
I. A RIGHT CHRISTMAS: MAKING ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR HEART.
A. The heart of the Innkeeper was totally Close.
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (NKJV). Luke 2:7
Even Herod, the Chief Priest, and the Scribes, they know the location where the Messiah was- but they don’t believe the Lord had come.
I believe that if we want to discover the true meaning of Christmas, the meaning of life, and the meaning of our own lives, it comes down to what we have been talking about: making room for Jesus.
If the birth of Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas. and if Jesus is God in Flesh, Emmanuel, the Saviour, the Christ, the Lord - then He is the one gives meaning to life. Which means we must ask ourselves: if we really want to know why we are here, what our true purpose is, then are we prepared to make room for Jesus?
if your heart and life are filled with other things, you miss everything good for the season. Wouldn’t it be a good thing this Christmas for you to throw out all else and make room for Christ?
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NKJV
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 NIV
Brethren, Innkeeper was the first man on planet earth missed Christmas and all its meaning! That time king Herod, Chief Priest, and the owner of the motel- MISS THE TRUE MEANING THAT NIGHT.
Christ birth Is all about love!
When Mary and Joseph came to the inn, the inn-keeper said, “We have no room for you.” Oh, he was the man who missed Christmas and all of its meaning! He had many guests in his hotel, but they were soon gone and forgotten. If he had allowed Jesus to be born there, this would have changed his hotel and his whole life.
So today, if you say, “I have no room for Jesus,” if your heart and life are filled with other things, you miss everything good. Wouldn’t it be a good thing this Christmas for you to throw out all else and make room for Christ?
This means not only the sins of the flesh, but the sins of the disposition. Maybe you are envious of someone, maybe you hate someone. Maybe you have an unforgiving spirit toward someone. What a wonderful experience you could have on Christmas morning if you would cast every evil thing out of your heart.
II. A RIGHT CHRISTMAS INCLUDES TRUE WORSHIP.
When Jesus was born, a wonderful miracle of nature took place. The heavens opened up and an angel came down to speak to a group of Shepherds on a Judean hill.
UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD. YOU WILL FIND HIM WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES, AND LYING IN A MANGER.- Luke 2;11
The dog worships as he gazes into his master’s face. The baby worships its mother. But God’s children, saved and blessed in a million ways, go on and on, never lifting their hearts to God in praise.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:13-15
6 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:16
The Gifts of the Wise Men and Our Gifts to Jesus
It's that time of year again...time for gift-buying, gift-wrapping, and gift-exchanging. What are the gifts we could bring Jesus this Christmas? One way we can discover that is to look at Matthew 2:1-12, which tells of the gifts the wise men brought Him on the night when God became flesh and dwelt among us.
- Gold - His Sovereign Dominion
- Frankincense - His Sinless Deity
- Myrrh - His Sacrificial Death
A Right Christmas.
- Making Room For Jesus In Your Heart
- Making time To Worship Him.
Jesus:
Came - as God in a human flesh; Lived - a sinless life in our place.
Died - for our sins; Arose - to deliver us from death
Ascended - to prepare a mansion for us; Minister - each day as our high priest
He is coming back- to take us to be with him forever.
What Will You Give Jesus this Christmas?
For Me: I want the world to know that He Died for Me.