I'll Be Home For Christmas

John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(NIV)

It is ironic when you read the account of the Christmas Story in the Bible because NO ONE was at home that First Christmas...

...Mary and Joseph’s home was NAZARETH and they were in BETHLEHEM;

...The Shepherds were AT WORK that night;

...The Wisemen weren’t home as they were TRAVELING to find the newborn King;

...Even JESUS was not at home!

Yet we all want to be HOME for Christmas!

In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown.

Home – A place were you BELONG

A young woman was nervous about meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time; she wanted to look her absolute best. As she glanced at herself in the mirror, she noticed her black pumps looked a little dingy, so she gave them a fast swipe with the paper towel she had used to blot her breakfast bacon. When she arrived at their home she was greeted by the parents and their spoiled, cranky poodle. The dog got a whiff of the bacon grease on her shoes and followed her around all evening. At the end of the evening, as she was getting ready to leave, her boyfriend’s parents said, "Cleo really likes you, dear, and she is an excellent judge of character. We are delighted to welcome you into our little family."

Home – A place where IMPERFECTION is made PERFECT

When I’m home, I am accepted JUST AS I AM.

Home – A place where FAILURE finds FORGIVENESS.

If our greatest need had been INFORMATION,

God would have sent an EDUCATOR.

If our greatest need had been TECHNOLOGY,

God would have sent a SCIENTIST.

If our greatest need had been MONEY,

God would have sent an ECONOMIST.

If our greatest need had been PLEASURE,

God would have sent an ENTERTAINER.

But our greatest need was FORGIVENESS,

so God sent us a SAVIOR!

Home – A place where you can be at PEACE.

Three things rob us of PEACE:

GRIEF

1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

(KJV)

GUILT (Jesus came to be an “Etch-a-Sketch for our sin!)

Matthew 1:21

“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.”

(NIV)

GRUDGES (You may be letting people from YESTERDAY rob you of peace TODAY)

I John 4:20-21

“If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

(NIV)

You Are My Sunshine

Karen was expecting another child and so she worked to prepare little three year old Michael for the birth of his baby sister. Every night Michael saying to his sister in his mother’s tummy.

During the delivery of the baby serious complications developed. After many hours of struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. She was rushed to a neonatal intensive care unit in another hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Instead of getting better, the little girl continued to decline. The pediatric specialist told Karen and her husband, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.” The parents contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot.