Old, new, borrowed and true
I suppose it must be a sign of ageing that I really enjoy TV programmes like ‘I love the 70s
As soon as they start to show those nostalgic clips and play the songs I used to listen to the memories come flooding back
There’s something about music that does that – isn’t there?
à particularly Christmas songs
Every time I hear the dulcet tones of Noddy Holder singing ‘so hear it is merry Christmas’ I can see my sister and I jumping up and down in the air and singing it at full volume – much to my mum’s distress
I’m sure there are songs that do that for you
- and for a little while, this evening, we’re going to see if we recongnise a few Christmas songs, tie them together and see what we come up with
Now – they’re not all titles – some of them are lines in the songs, so you’ll need to think fast
-- here’s the first one
DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS
Sung by ‘Band aid’ in 1984 – to raise money for victims of the famine in Ethiopia
It’s one of the few Christmas songs that has a good message to it <>
‘It’s Christmastime; there’s no need to be afraid
At Christmastime, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime
But say a prayer to pray for the other ones
At Christmastime’
But you know that chorus – ‘do they know its Christmas?’ was a challenge to the people who sang it and to us who listen to it
We know it’s the time of year when we celebrate
We know it’s a time for buying presents
We know it’s a time to eat mince pies and Christmas pudding
à But do we know it’s all about Christ? ß
And you know, John told us this happened at the first Christmas
John 1:10
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. (NIV)
ILLUSTRATION
Ladies in Salvation army – there was nothing about Christmas in Alders
- ‘not a reindeer in sight’
LAST CHRISTMAS I GAVE YOU MY HEART
That’s a sad one isn’t it?
‘Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you threw it away’
A lot of people really throw themselves into the wrong things at Christmas - don’t they
They pour gallons of drink down their throats
They do things they live to regret
They run up huge debts that don’t get paid off until June
They seem to be looking for meaning at all the wrong things
Jesus made a very important comment about that
‘Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19 NIV)
You look around this Christmas and see people throwing themselves into things that will never satisfy their deepest need
Maybe you’re one of those people
Well if that’s so, the next song should bring you some good news – this one’s a real classic
I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS
What a great song!
- It evokes that lovely image we see on the Christmas cards
Beautiful white snow covering the ground
- it all seems so fresh and comforting – there’s a touch of perfection about a fresh fall of snow
The Bible uses it as a picture to get a very important point across
Back in the Old Testament – when God looked forward to the first Christmas and spoke through a man called Isaiah He said
‘Though your sins are as scarlet they shall be white as snow’ (Isaiah 1:18)
You couldn’t have a greater contrast
- an ugly scarlet stain and the glistening white of snow
The stain is a picture of our sin
Sin has become a very misunderstood word – ‘naughty but nice’
According to the bible though is ignoring God and saying, “I will make up the rules about how I live and I will be God.”
It is saying to the God who made us,
“God, get to the fringe of my life and I will decide what I do.”
à And it puts up a massive barrier between God and ourselves
The image of the snow is the solution
It pictures God’s forgiveness
Which came because of the first Christmas
- because God’s Son became a prefect child who grew up to b
e the perfect man and took the punishment for our sins
ILLUSTRATION
Les Miserables – last scene – the policeman finally catches up with the fugitive
- ‘the law must be satisfied’
He takes the handcuffs from Jean Valjean, puts them on himself and jumps into the river
This forgiveness is a gift and there’s only one way you can receive a gift à you’ve got to accept it
_____________
Well, we’ve thought about a few Christmas songs
- let me wrap it all up with Christmas poem
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist;
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.
