How to Prepare for Christmas
1. Attention
ILL>> One of my favorite Christmas movies is the Christmas Story. It is the one where the little boy wants a Red Rider B-B Gun. His mother said, “You will shoot your eyes out, no you can’t have a
B-B gun”. Even Santa said, “You will shoot your eyes out kid!” He dreamed of what he would do with that b-b gun. He imagined saving his family from the bad guys and being the family hero. It was all he could think about. In the end he did a gun for Christmas and he did almost shoot his eye out.
That gun was all he could think about.
Are you prepared for Christmas? It takes more than a tree to find the real joy in Christmas.
2. Need
Let me ask you a question. What do you think about when you think about Christmas?
Of course we all think of Christmas trees and beautiful decorations, there is nothing wrong with that. We think of what we can give our friends and family for Christmas and that’s good too. We even have to think about what we want for Christmas.
ILL>>> My mom called the other day and asked me what I wanted and the only thing I could think of was a pocket knife. Sometimes you have to think of things that you need. We really don’t need much.
There is a real problem however when we begin to
think of the things of Christmas more than we think about the Christ of Christmas.
Christmas has become so materialistic we might as well call it -CASH-MUST!
>>>>>>>stores are at the make or break point // People are at the breaking point <<<<
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to see if your materialistic.
1. What is the first thing you do to get ready for Christmas?
Does it involve things /// or People or the Lord
2. Do you put property before PEOPLE? by fighting over thing, // -- shopping over souls
It is important to take pride in the cleanliness and beauty and decorations of our homes. In fact our homes dont need to be decorated but we can at least keep them clean and orderly. I believe it is a real sin to be dirty when you have the since enough to be clean! Or to disrespect your house or God’s house with trash and uncleanness. “Let everything be done decently and in order”
3. Do you think about how to share gifts and never the gospel with someone?
4. Are you angry at someone and not speaking to them this Christmas?
5. Do you get upset because you don’t have enough money to do what you want for Christmas?
I believe all of us -- at one time or another -- place the
CASH OF CHRISTMAS before the CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS!
3. Satisfaction
The real Christmas story in the book of Luke begins with a message from an angel. The message is about John and what he will do to prepare the people for the coming of Christ.
read ---Luke 1:5-17
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS
ILL>> The song -- “The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh ...
First turn.... A change of direction!
I. Turn to the Christ of Christmas
Luk 1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
HOW?
A. - Turn away from MATERIALISM -- it will steal your joy!
B. - Turn to the MASTER - Make Him the most important person in your life.
1. By making Christmas a time of worship not worry
2. By putting people before property -- spend time with people not money
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE CHILDREN OF CHRISTMAS
II. Turn to the Children of Christmas
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
As John prepared for Christ we must prepare for Christmas in the spirit and power of Elijah!
A. - Turn your ATTITUDE toward spiritual things -- not opinionated spirituality
“in the spirit and power of Elias”
Luke was referring to John as the one mentioned here ... -- the one going before the Lord...
Isa 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
There are the words from Handel’s Messiah.
HOW? 1. Receive the Comfort of Christmas through forgiveness
“her iniquity is pardoned”
2. Receive the Correction of Christmas
“make straight in the desert a highway for our God”>> Advent = coming, entry
The Lord has a way of straightening out our lives... Is. 40:4-5
B. - Turn to your AFFECTION toward your Family
--Christmas is a time of RECONCILIATION
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTMAS
III. Turn to the Challenge of Christmas
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
A. - Turn your disobedience into obedience
This was Johns message. Matthew 3:1-6
Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
1. Turning requires REPENTANCE
2. Turning TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
ie - the kingdom of heaven - Christ kingdom
why? B. - Turn for the purpose of EVANGELISM to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Are you ready for Christmas? >>>>> to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
4. Visualization
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE
CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE
CHILDREN OF CHRISTMAS
Prepare for Christmas by TURNING TO THE
CHALLENGE OF CHRISTMAS
5. Action
