Finding Freedom From Our Sin And Mistakes Series

Finding Freedom From

SIN and MISTAKES

SO – did you have a Merry, Merry Christmas?

Was your heart light and your troubles out of sight.

Was your yule-tide bright?

NOW – we are in this series… an extremely important series, ONE THAT - we have been in since the first of November.

‘Finding Freedom, in a world that seeks to bind you.’

UNDERSTAND – (and listen, I know… that you ‘do’ understand) that there are many things in this world that seek…

TO - enslave and bind you

TO – the master boss of…

YOUR - emotions, your joy, your peace, your hope,

your confidence, your destiny, your life…

AND SO – in this series we have looked at truths,

TRUTHS - found in God word,

TRUTHS - that can and will set you free if you ‘hold on to them’ FROM – being enslaved and held captive by things like…

Fear, worry, anger, circumstances, hurt, stuff, comparison

Yourself (making life all about you and all for you)

TRUTHS – that will allow you to, look those things right in the eye and with a ‘god-empowered confidence’ declare.

You are not my master!

You are not the boss of me!

not any more!

NOW – today December 27th the last Sunday in the year 2020 LIKE - who is ready to put this year in the rear view mirror?

BTW – next week we are going to talk about finding freedom from the past.

IT – is going to be a MSG about…

OKAY… but this morning, 12/27/2020

We are going to unpack a conversation I am calling, ‘Finding Freedom Sin/Mistakes.

Sin/Mistakes – got any?

YOU KNOW – this week as I was thinking how much our world just loves to celebrate Christmas, after…

It's the most wonderful time of the year

With the kids jingle belling

And everyone telling you be of good cheer

It's the most wonderful time of the year

YEAH LIKE – celebrating Christmas is a really huge deal and so many people really love going at it hard.

AND LISTEN – there is nothing wrong with that at all…

HOWEVER…

A THOUGHT – hit me this week, now, thoughts have a way of doing that to me all the time, especially in regards to messages that I am working for Sunday morning.

Here is the thought that hit me.

If we did not sin and make mistakes or if God was not a God of grace, there would be no Christmas.

QUESTION – can you imagine a world without Christmas?

A December without…

Decorated homes, lights shining on everyone’s lawns, giving and receiving gifts, candy canes, Christmas trees, your favorite Christmas songs or movies

BETTER YET – can you imagine a world without Jesus, without Christ.

YOU KNOW – a sobering, depressing, sad thought kept poking at me this Christmas season…

ABOUT – how tragic it is for countless people to celebrate Christmas… to put up a tree, hang lights on their home, to wrap presents…etc

To celebrate Christmas, but to celebrate it without any thought, regard, worship or appreciation for Christ (Jesus).

UNDERSTAND – though I have nothing against…

Santa, Reindeer, Frosty the snowman, Rudolph, Elves (even the ones on shelves), the Grinch…

OR – Christmas… trees, lights, stockings, presents, parties, or cookies.

God the son putting on flesh 2000 years to save mankind from their sins…

IS - ‘the’ reason for Christmas,

IS – ‘the’ reason for this season, for the celebration

IN FACT – the word ‘mas’ means – a celebration

AND - the word Christ means anointed one or Messiah.

IT’S - a title for the promised one who would come to bring salvation to God’s people.

SO MAYBE – instead of saying ‘Happy Holidays’ or even ‘Merry Christmas, we should say

“Have a merry time celebrating the Christ!”

YES – 2000 years ago Jesus (God the son) put on flesh and was born in manager… for one primary reason….

To bring Salvation.

AND THEREFORE – it should not surprise us that when we look at what was said when Jesus was born… that the message of Salvation was front and center stage.

We read in Matthew chapter 1…

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

- Matthew 20,21

NOW - the name Jesus, is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua and it means, ‘God is salvation’ – or ‘God saves.’

SO WHAT - the angel is really saying…

Joseph you are to name Him ‘God saves…’