The Most Important Part Of Christmas Series

Introduction

1. MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!

2. It’s great having the children here with us today!

3. When you think about Christmas: There are so many parts of Christmas –

a. music

b. parties, food

c. decorations, lights

d. nativity scenes, gifts

4. They are all wonderful parts of Christmas, but which one is the most important?

I. MUSIC: Who doesn’t love the music of Christmas!!

A. We’ve sung and heard so much already today … kiddos, congregation, special songs

B. Visit to Regent Hotel … violins and keyboard in front of the huge Christmas tree! MUSIC!!

C. The night Jesus was born – we read the words of the heavenly angel choir: Glory to God in the highest heaven!

D. Bible does tell us to “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19)

E. Psalm 100:2 - Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.

F. CHRISTMAS SONGS: Joy To The World; Silent Night, Holy Night; Hark, The Herald Angels Sing;

G. BUT … is this the most important part of Christmas - the music and carols?

II. FOOD: Special gatherings, parties

A. What a great time the Christmas season is for getting together with family and friends!

B. This year we had our first Christmas celebration on November 27 with Pastor Bob and Kelly and our Filipino pastors!

C. Last night the Next Gen had an overnight gathering here in the building!

D. Jesus did a LOT with food and meals:

a. He fed 5000 people … miraculously with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish!!

b. He joined in the wedding in Cana and helped with the refreshments!

c. Jesus had dinners and meals with all kinds of people …

E. BUT … is this the most important part of Christmas - the parties and food times?

III. DECORATIONS … the LIGHTS

A. Christmas is a festival of joy!

B. Special decorations help us capture that spirit of joyful celebration!

C. Banqiao: CHRISTMAS LAND with a million light!

D. We have lights! Pastors’ apartment: 30 points of light … 25 are candle lights

E. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in

darkness.”

F. BUT … is this the most important part of Christmas - the decoration and lights?

IV. GIFTS … especially for children!

A. We all LOVE gifts!

B. P Cina and I have already given our gifts to each other!

C. Today we have small gifts for all the children!

D. The wise men gave gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh

E. GIFTS … this idea is leading us to the answer to our question …

V. SO … What IS the most important part of Christmas??

A. THE FIRST 6 LETTERS!! – CHRIST ?

B. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

C. The word “Christ” comes from the Greek word, christos, meaning “anointed one.”

a. It has almost the same as the Hebrew word for Messiah: “chosen one”

b. So, Jesus the Christ, or Messiah, is “the chosen and anointed one of God.”

C. Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah in 1:23-

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) Isaiah 7:14 (more than 700 years BEFORE Jesus was born!)

D. What’s so important about “God with us?”

E. Christmas reminds us that God sent His Son from heaven to earth so we could go from earth

to heaven!

CONCL:

1. All of us have an inborn longing for a heavenly home.

2. Hebrews 11:16 says that God has prepared heaven for us because there is a “longing for … a heavenly country” within us.

3. Why is that? Eccles 3:11 - God “has put eternity into man’s heart”

4. Christmas is more than an event within history!

a. It’s the invasion into time by the eternal God …

b. Who wants us to be with Him in the heaven He has prepared for us!

5. BUT … how is that possible? How does this happen?

a. That’s where the Christ Child – JESUS – comes into this picture … He is the answer!

b. Jesus came to not only tell us the way to heaven … He IS the way!

John 14:6 – “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

6. The Christ Child came to take care of the sin problem that each of us has – the sin that separates us from being in right and good relationship with God.

a. And … that change happens in us simply by placing our faith in Jesus – the Christ Child who was born to Mary that night long ago.