Favor Over Ugly Fear Series

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER

WEEK 2 -

Timothy G. Porter

Text Luke 2:1-14

Introduction:

It is at Christmas time when we often see - all at one time - the best of humanity and the worst of humanity.

We celebrate the birth of our savior in a dimly lit room with candles and sing Silent Night. Suddenly the next day, many of us join in with the rest of the country pushing and fighting for the newest iPhone at Best Buy and arguing over all kinds of things.

How can these two extremes happen all at once?

? The emphasis on getting Christmas right.

We want it white and bright.

We want the tree, the decorations

the lights, the eggnog the ham and the presents.

We want everyone to be happy.

We want to be able to get and give plenty.

We want peace and joy to abound.

When you boil it all down, Christmas often turns into just a major hassle. You rush around and pushed for time. You spend money you don't have for people you don't like to get things they don't even want or need.

In our struggle to get it right, we often get it dead wrong and end up making a ugly sweater mess.

I believe God wants us to get it right. I believe that He is not so interested in our having a white Christmas as He is interested in our having a right Christmas.

So, how can we have a right Christmas?

What do we need to understand and change to allow Christmas to be a time of blessing and wonder instead of being a time of stress tension and uglyness?

Here you go! Here is what you need!

To go Home For Christmas. We all are going home or wish we were.

I.) You Need the Right Miracle (v. 7)

The true essence of Christmas is not trees or tinsel; gifts or glitter; it's not even family or friends.

The true essence of Christmas is found in verse 7. The true essence of Christmas is the birth of a baby. Not just any baby, but a baby Who was and is God is human flesh.

Some you us need a Christmas miracle! Thing about Joseph for a moment ??? He has travled 90 miles with a pregnet girl 12-14 yrs old. leading a donkey.gets to his home town thinking he is going to the hampton inn to get a room and nothing. ( the inn keeper is the first person to reject Jesus)

He is mad as a wet hen [ugly] if you will! Time is of the essence Mary is about to give birth!

God supplies Philippians 4:19 with some common shepherds and there they have what they need roof over their head.

Here is another mieacle in this story. Did Joseph go home because of what was burried in Bethlehem or for what was to be born there?

some of don't want to go home for what is burried there - we remember it !

Rachel was burried there. She was the wife of Jacob, she only had one sone Benjamin (Benoni meaning bore from my pain. who is from Isreal Jacob - The tribe of Benjamin would become Judah.

Micah 5:2 (NKJV) 2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

Joseph come home because he was frome the house and lineage of King David - thats why Rachel was burried there.

Are you going home this christmas looking for a mieracle of birh or remembering what was burried.

? The incarnation and the implications of that miraculous event — Isa. 9:6; Isa. 7:14; John 1:1, 14; Phil. 2:5-8. When you get a handle on Who Jesus is, your whole concept of Christmas changes forever. It is about God becoming a man to die for sinners, 2 Cor. 5:21! (? It's not about …; It is about …)

II.) You Need the Right Message (v. 8-12)

? The context of the shepherds and the angel. The shepherds were afraid, but the angel offered them a message of grace, peace, hope, blessing, joy and salvation.

I can't imange living without hope (the story Jamie told me about his dad dieing lost)

It was a PERSONAL message, “unto you”. It was a POWERFUL message, “a Saviour”. It was a PROFOUND message, “which is Christ the Lord”. It was a POINTED message, “this shall be a sign unto you…”

It should be a message of favor over fear - Mary in Luke 1:28 (NLT2) 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

But in vs. 34 Mary says : Luke 1:34 (NLT2) 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”