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.”
I am wondewring if ya'll are doing the same thing?? Putting fear over favor???
Favor can feel like interference and interruption.
There is a relationship between fear and favor.
Until you feel fear, you really haven’t found favor.
You have to choose favor over fear though.
I come with a message today to tell you You are favored - Stop living in fear !
You struggle to receive the Word. You say - How can these things be, I am a Virgin?
That's our biggest problem with receiving the Word of God. We seem to be hooked on the validation of people. And if we don't get the validation, we have trouble believing God's favor over us .
We replace Virgin with - ADDICT, BROKE, HOMEASEXUAL, DIVORCED, LAZY, LIAR,
How can I be rich when man says I'm poor? How can I be strong when man says I'm weak? How can I be the head when my friends say I'm the tail? How can I be above when my situation looks beneath? How can I be an overcomer when it looks like everything has pressed me down? How can I have peace when I feel so confused? How can I have joy when I've been going through a season of depression?
? The angel said, "That's why I came WITH THIS MESSAGE, to tell you that your circumstances are lying, your conditions are not true. What you feel doesn't matter. Your flesh will not confirm it. Your emotions will not validate it. Your friends will not collaborate it. Humanity will not condone it. But you are highly favored". And what God is getting ready to do in your life, he will not need a partner, a board, a committee. He will not need a man. He's just going to bring it to pass all by himself. He's going to do it through your lonely self, your empty self, your lacking self, your troubled self
That ought to be our message all through the year. God help us to go and tell a lost and dying world they are favored!! Of a living, loving Saviour Who can give them grace, peace, hope, blessing joy and salvation. Do you know the real meaning of Christmas?
Is that the message others receive as they watch you live your life? Do you believe the message? Are you sharing the message?
III.) You Need the Right Motive (v. 13-14)
? The context of the vast multitude of angels.
? Literally stretched from horizon to horizon. When they opened their mouths to speak, they sought to glorify God. Their only mission and motive that night was to exalt God Almighty for the great work He had accomplished
when Joseph walked out of that inn office he had 2 choices be bitter and ugly or put his coat on and wear.
**At the worst possible moment came his greatest opportuinty**
Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
The Greek word used for "clothe" or "put on" is the word "Enduo".
Enduo literally means to sink into a garment or to cover yourself.
In order for us to love people well and not act like an ugly Christmas sweater, we must intentionally put on new and better kinds of actions.
? COMPASSION - KINDNESS - HUMILITY - GENTLENESS - PATIENCE
When Christmas ceases to be about what you can get or how much you and give and it starts being about how you can glorify God, you are on your way to having a right Christmas.
What matters the most to you this Christmas? Bringing glory to God by wearing the right tings or keeping all the Christmas traditions?
Finding yourself before Him in praise and worship, driving yourself crazy trying to get it all done? Rejoicing in what He has done for you, or complaining about how hard things are this year?
A right Christmas keeps the focus on God Almighty. A right Christmas will being us to a place of worship!
