Simply Christmas: The Gospel Series

Video Transition – Christmas Chaos! By Skit Guys.

This video though funny does make you wonder if there are chaotic demons at play at Christmas! Can you relate? It reveals in my view, “How the enemy seeks to make the message of Christmas and the celebration of Christmas overly complicated!” When chaos reigns it creates – stressed out people, joyless people, angry people, an atmosphere with a lack of peace, a rise in health issues for people, the chaotic creates a complicated atmosphere which for some it surfaces at this season – when it does it steals away the message of The Gospel.

Point: The enemy of our spirit and souls always seeks to complicate the simple message of “The Gospel” – Let me say it again – He seeks to make it complicated, hard to understand, discouraging, filled with fear and apprehension, filled with debt, a story which seems out of reach and in touch with their hectic life, a works related story which is just unattainable with more do’s and don’ts added in. The Devil seeks people to become so frustrated, by getting them to assume feelings of hopelessness - that they then give up on the simple message of “The Gospel.”

Truth: The enemy always seeks to complicate the truth! To twist it – to distort it – to pollute it – and to make it foggy.

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for overcomplicating the message of “The Gospel” and Truth – He was pointing to all their manmade religious rules – their complicated sacrificial system to God.

We see the same today with many religions – they focus on doing manmade works to save themselves!

We see it with things like biology today! You are no longer male or female in certain circles. They have created new categories creating confusion and chaos in this upcoming generation.

We see it in education! New educational systems complicating learning, grading and the study skill needed for life, for happiness, for proper reading and writing, for developing basic math skills – and of course the educational system of distorting social issues.

The Devil seeks to make life complicated (Chaotic) and very hard for everyone – Why? So people become discouraged, so they live in a fog – So they feel hopeless and wrapped up in the chaos – This in turn causes them to miss the truth of the “The Gospel.”

Hands on exercise: Question for the Day and focus of my sermon: “What is the Gospel?”

The explanation as to - Why we are doing this exercise today?

Many scholars in the conservative realm of Christianity say the church is in a fog about this question “What is the Gospel?”

McKnight states, “You may be surprised. You think the word gospel…is the one thing around which there is no fog. You may think the gospel is the simple thing, whereas everything else-like politics and eschatology and atonement theory and poverty – cries debate (because it is complicated)… I think we’ve got the gospel wrong, or at least our current understanding is only a pale reflection of the Gospel of Jesus and the apostles. We need to go back to the Bible to find the original gospel” (Page 24, The King Jesus Gospel)

Application: So, I am taking an informal survey today to see how our church answers this question! “What is the Gospel”

Have the church attendees fill out the index cards to answer this question then have them collected by the ushers – they will forward them to me.

Video Song played as cards are being filled out called “Simple Gospel?”

Sermon: Simply Christmas - The Gospel

Thesis: The simple message of “The Gospel” is the “Good News of Jesus.” It’s about Jesus our Savior – His story – It’s focus’ on His miracle birth, His ministry, His teachings, His death and His Resurrection (another miracle) and His coming again. His story starts with a miracle and ends His earthly ministry with a miracle – and the story says He is coming again - It’s the message of “Good News” of believing in Jesus story, of faith in His story, of hope found in His story and of love all wrapped up in His story.

Illustration: The official name of Christian Hills Church is really: Christian Hills Full Gospel Church this is our officially incorporated name registered with the state. Why? “Full Gospel” – the former spiritual leaders of CHC wanted to communicate the message that this church will always preach and teach the “Full Gospel.” Not parts of the Bible – But the whole Bible – Genesis thru Revelation focusing on “The Full Story of Jesus” – of “Abba” Father – and of the empowerment of The Holy Spirit.

So, we have the official incorporated name – but most know us as Christian Hills Church which is our trade name - as the IRS calls it. But it is important we know what the word “Gospel” really means.