Community Christmas service
Church of the Nazarene, Grand saline Texas
December 10, 2017 6:30 PM
“The star”
More years ago than I want to admit
Back when Patti and I were very young and newly married
We decorated our first Christmas Tree as a married couple
With hand me down Christmas Ornaments that had been given to us by family members and friends
We did have a few new ones
That we had acquired
But
Working as a cowboy in the 80’s did not pay much
And so we did not have much
I don’t recall exactly how it went
But when we had emptied the box
And everything was on the tree
We noticed there was nothing on the top of the tree
So
In a very crude manner
I made a star similar to this one
Just a cardboard star covered in tin foils
With bread ties to hold it on the tree
Nothing fancy
I would say
Most people would look at it and laugh
Or simply leave it in the box while decorating the tree’ But to us it was great
That silly little cardboard and foil star adorned the top of our Christmas trees for years
And has since been replaced a number of times by more beautiful
Costly and commercial tree toppers
Our first star was simple
But still special
And it now
So many years latter remind me of the love in our family
The joy of Christmas
And
The gift of God
To the world he loves
Of his one and only Son Jesus Christ
Our little simple star had only five points
I know there are fancy stars out there that have many points
And glow like the sun
But the five points of our little star
While reminding me of our love
Also remind me of My savior
So tonight
I would like to put a name on each point
The first point of my Christmas star is the Birth Of Christ
I know many in this world who think That Christmas is just a giving and getting holiday
They focus on the gifts and trees the tinsel and bows
And often forget about, or even choose to forget about the fact that Christmas is a celebration of the Birth of our savior
Christmas is about the perfect Gift
Christmas is about the star of the show
The original Christmas present
And the first Christmas ornament
We read of Jesus ‘miraculous birth
First in Matthew
Then Luke gives us a few more details
John
The disciple that Jesus loved Talks of his birth
Without giving an account of the events
And it is this account I love the most
John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b]
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,[c] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14 So the Word became human[d] and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.[e] And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John in a few simple verses
Wraps up the Birth of our savior
He was God
He was with God
He has always been
Ands he came and lived with us
Matthew tells of the Magi and the danger from Herod
Luke tells of the Bright star, the manger, the shepherds and angels
Both tell of the virgin birth
But it is John
Who describes for us
Who Jesus really is
And what it is he came to accomplish
God
With us
In the flesh
The first point on my star is for his birth
The birth of my savior
The next point on my star
Stands for Jesus’ life
In human standards
his life was short
Just some 33 years
But in Godly standards he is eternal
The word was God, John says, not created- but the creator
But in his 33 years as a human
Jesus accomplished something no one before of since will or ever has accomplished
He lived a perfect life
A Sinless
Life
He came to earth to experience what we experience
And he did
He was tempted, and he was tired
He was hungry and thirsty
He was even angry, and he wept
But he never sinned
Not once
Not even a little
Continuing with John’s writing
This time when he is older
More experienced
More filled with love for others
He describes the sinless life of our savior
And the purpose of his sinless life
I john 3:5
5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.
I m so thankful for the birth of Jesus
I am so thankful for the life of Jesus
And with the next point of my little star
I am so thankful for the ministry of Jesus
Jesus in just 33 short years
And only a little over 3 years of public ministry shook the world
The Old Testament
Had been but a showdown of the new things to come
And now through the ministry of Jesus
He shows us God wants our obedience
He wants our heart
Not our sacrifices
The prophets of old
Drew us a map to The new covenant
To Jesus
And it is his ministry
That taught the man
Who taught the men
Who taught the men
Who eventually taught us
He taught us to love God and to love each other
He taught about a relationship not religion
He and he alone
Showed the path to a restored relationship with God our Father
He showed that he was not interested in ceremony and rituals
Clean and unclean
He came to save us
All who will-- he said
Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”
I am So thankful for the Birth of Jesus
I am so thankful for the Life of Jesus
And I am so thankful for the ministry of Jesus
The next point of my little star is for the death and resurrection of Jesus
Jesus Christ
The living word
God
Was born in a manger
Lived a perfect life
Taught and trusted his ministry to the hands of simple people like the apostles a. like me
And then he willingly gave his life
To pay the penalty of our sins
While we were still sinning
The Old testament prophets wrote about it
But did not understand
But in the sacrifice of Jesus
We see the fulfillment of the prophesy
He suffered and died
To take away our sin
And then
He conquered death and the grave to free us from the penalty death
Death in the form of eternal separation from God
The cross could not hold him
The tomb could not contain him
He is risen
And all this he did for us
You and me
Personally
I wish there had been another way
But I know there was not
So I am so thankful for the death and resurrection of my Jesus
I am thankful for his birth
I am thankful for his life
I am thankful for his ministry
I am thankful for his death and resurrection
And the last point on my little star is for his eternity
For this point
I want to go back to the disciple that Jesus loved
The Apostle John
When he is old
Just prior to his death
Suffering exile on the Island of Patmos for his belief in and his teaching about Christ
He writes under the direction Of Jesus himself
In the book of Revelation
Revelation 22:12-17
12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.[e] I am the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
I am so thankful for my savior
His birth
His life
His ministry
His death and resurrection and his promise of eternity
These were all gifts given to us by our Father
The simplest and most well know verse in all of God’s word
Says it better than I ever could
John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
The perfect Gift
The star of the show
Jesus Christ the Emmanuel
Close from the heart
Pray
