GAL 4:4-5. CHRISTMAS AND GREAT EXPECTATIONS
SLIDE 1:
SO MANY OF US HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS AS WE APPROACH CHRISTMAS AFTER ALL ITS A MAGICAL TIME AND MANY PEOPLE SPEND THEIR DAYS COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS - YOU CAN ALWAYS GAURANTEE A RADIO/TV PRESENTER SAYING STRIAGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS ONLY 365 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS. WE CONTINUALLY COUTDOWN TO THE EVENT EVEN THOUGH ITS JUST GONE.
• THAT REMINDS ME OF THE FAMILY THAT CANT GET ENOUGH OF CHRISTMAS, THEY LOVE XMAS SO MUCH THEY CELEBRATE IT 365 DAYS A YEAR WITH CHRISTMAS TURKEY DINNER AND THE GIVING OF GIFTS TO ONE ANOTHER EACG DAY. WHO KNOWS HOW THEY KEEP THAT UP!
BUT DO OUR GREAT EXPECTATIONS DELIVER THE GOODS - CHRISTMAS IS SO HYPED BY THE MEDIA , IT BECOMES A MATERIALISTIC FRENZY TRYING TO SATISFY OUR UNSATIABLE APPETITES FOR MORE, WE EXPECT SO MUCH YET IF WERE HONEST WE RECEIVE SO LITTLE. WHAT IS CHRISTMAS REALLY ALL ABOUT…..? ARE OUR GREAT EXPECTATIONS EVER MET WITH THIS TYPE OF CHRISTMAS?
DON’T YOU HAVE A NAGGING SUSPICION DEEP DOWN THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE TO CHRISTMAS? YES YOU’VE GOT THE GIFTS – YOU’VE GOT THE FAMILY TIME – YES YOU’VE GOT THE FOOD AND WINE AND THE CELEBRATIONS. BUT ALL THE ANTICIPATION, ALL THE EXPECTATIONS YOU HELD OUT FOR HAVE THEY BEEN MEET IN THESE THINGS? DO THEY DELIVER THE GOODS? IF NOT DON’T WORRY BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT ALONE...
• CHARLIE BROWN AND CHRISTMAS VIDEO SLOT
YOU MAY WELL HAVE THE CHARLIE BROWN SYNDROME.AS LINUS SAID, OF ALL THE CHARLIE BROWNS IN THE WORLD YOU HAVE GOT TO BE THE CHARLIE BROWNIEST!” YET CHARLIE’S HONESTY WAS JUST CONVEYING THE GENUINE HEART BEAT OF SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR WORLD TODAY. CHARLIES BROWN STATEMENT IS THESTATEMENT OF SO MANY AT CHRISTMAS.......
HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO ON CHRISTMAS DAY SAID TO HIS DAD IN DISALLUSIONED TONE, “DOES SANTA REALLY DELIVER DAD? AFTER ALL HE HAS TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR AND IM STLL NOT SATISFIED!”
YOU SEE THIS TYPE OF CHRISTMAS WILL ALWAYS LEAVE US DISALLUSIONED – UNSATISFIED. IF WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE OUR EXPECTATIONS MEET IN POSSESIONS, PEOPLE OR PLEASURES BECAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR SO MUCH MORE.... TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT YOU TO THE WHEN, THE WHO AND THE WHY OF CHRISTMAS THAT MEETS ALL OUR EXPECATIONS...
GAL 4:4-5 BUT (THE WHEN?) WHEN THE TIME HAD FULLY COME, GOD SENT (THE WHO?) HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN UNDER LAW TO REDEEM THOSE UNDER LAW, THAT WE MIGHT RECIEVE THE FULL RIGHTS AS SONS. (THE WHY?)
SLIDE 2.
1. THE WHEN OF CHRISTMAS: BUT WHEN THE TIME HAD FULLY COME.
CHRISTMAS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING FAR BIGGER SOMETHING TO BE CELEBRATED 365 DAYS A YEAR AND ENJOYED A LIFETIME AND INTO ETERNITY! AND CHRISTMAS IS THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL. THE GREATEST EVENT IN HISTORY WAS APPROACHING AN EVENT WHICH THE PROPHETS FORETOLD 800 YEARS BEFORE, THE JEWS WERE AWAITING AND IT TOOK PLACE 2000 YEARS AGO. TODAY EACH CHRISTMAS TIME IT’S SOMETHING WHICH WE LOOK BACK REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE. THE TIME HAS FULLY COME!
GREATEST EVENTS OF HISTORY:
IT WAS ON JULY 20TH 1969 APOLLO 11 LANDED ON THE MOON: IT IS SAID THAT ONE-FIFTH OF THE WORLDS POPULATION WATCHED ON TV THE FIRST MAN SETTING FOOT ON THE MOON. THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT, A GREAT EVENT WHICH IS STILL DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND. BUT THERE IT IS AN UNDENIABLE FACT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN HISTORY, OUR HISTORY.
BUT A FAR GREATER EVENT TOOK PLACE 2000 YEARS AGO WHEN GOD SET FOOT ON THIS EARTH IN THE PERSON OF JESUS, A SAVIOUR WAS BORN WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD!
THIS HAS TO BE THE MOST WONDORUS – THE MOST SPECTACULAR – THE MOST MIND BOGGLING EVENT IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
• THE NATIVITY VIDEO SLOT
ONLY A FEW MAY HAVE WITNESSED IT BUT MILLIONS OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY IT. AND CELBRATE THIS FACT EACH CHRISTMAS YET THE SADDEST FACT IS THAT SOME CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND DONT KNOW, SOME DONT CARE, SOME DONT FULLY UNDERSTAND. THE WHEN OF CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT THE BIRTH OF JESUS? A TIME WHICH HAS FULLY COME.
SLIDE 3
2. THE WHO OF CHRISTMAS: GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN,
THE BIRTH OF EVERY CHILD IS AN AMAZING EVENT. BUT THE BIRTH OF THIS CHILD IS AWESOME
THE BIRTH OF THIS CHILD WAS UNIQUE IN THAT MARY CONCEIVED A CHILD WHILST A VIRGIN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND HE WAS BORN WITHOUT SIN AND LIVED OBEDIENTLY TO THE LAW.
AS PROMISED BY THE ANGEL TO MARY. LKE.1: 34 HOW CAN THIS BE? SINCE I AM A VIRGIN.
AGAIN FORETOLD BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH 800 YEARS EARLIER. 7:14 THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN. THE VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL.
“HERE WE HAVE THE GOD OF ETERNITY DWELLING WITH THE PEOPLE OF HUMANITY SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF HUMANITY CAN BECOME THE PEOPLE OF ETERNITY.”
CAN YOU COMPREHEND THAT? HAVE YOU GOT A HOLD OF THIS GREAT WONDER? THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS, A TIME WHEN GOD BECAME A MAN AND DWELT AMONGST US SO THAT YOU AND I COULD HAVE ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS FULLFILLED IN HIM.
• ISAIAH 9 VIDEO SLOT
SO CHRISTMAS IS A TIME WHEN WE REMEBER THE INCOMING OF GOD (INCARNATION) IN JESUS. OTHERS MAY FIND THIS TRUTH DIFFICULT TO GRASP AND SO TRANSFORM XMAS INTO A TIME OF SANTA’S AND CONSUMERISM. BUT IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE IF GOD WANTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH US... THE ONLY WAY HE COULD REALLY DO IT IF HE BECAME LIKE ONE OF US
• IMAGINE A SPARROW FLEW INTO YOUR LOUNGE – EVERY TIME YOU APPROACHED IT, IT JUST FLEW ABOUT - YOU WANTED TO HELP IT - BUT THE SPARROW SIMPLY DOESNT UNDERSTAND IT’S FRIGHTENED. BUT IF YOU BECAME THE SPARROW. YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO IT WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO UNDESTAND.THE FACT OF IMMANUEL IS THAT GOD IS WITH US: GOD BECAME HUMAN TO COMMUNICATE AND DEMOONSTRATE HIS LOVE TOWARDS US.
• HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF THE FATHER PUTTING HIS SON TO BED, FINISHED READING AND PRAYERS? SON STARTED TO CRY. THE FATHER REMINDED HIM HE WOULD LEAVE THE LIGHT ON ...BUT THE LITTLE SAID YEAH! BUT I WANT SOMEBODY WITH SKIN ON!
AND THAT IS SO TRUE FOR ALL OF US MANY OF US LIVE OUT OUR LIVES HERE UPON EARTH AT TIMES WE FEEL ISOLATED ALONE, DISTURBED, CONFUSED , WORRIED, REJECTED AND FEARFUL BUT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE INCARNATION IS THAT GOD IS WITH US AND WE CAN KNOW HIS PRESENCE THROUGH ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIVES .
SLIDE 4
3. THE WHY OF CHRISTMAS: TO REDEEM US SO THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE FULL RIGHTS AS SONS.
IN THE BEGINNING WE WERE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD WE HAD FREINDSHIP WITH GOD BUT SIN HAS COME INTO OUR LIVES- SIN IS NOT JUST THE WRONG THINGS WE DO – BUT IT’S OUR VERY NATURE – WE ARE BORN SINNERS – THIS CAUSES SEPARATION FROM GOD WHO IS HOLY – YET DESPITE THIS JESUS COMES TO REDEEM US TO BUY US BACK SO THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE FULL RIGHTS AS CHILDREN OF GOD.
IF THIS NEVER HAD NEVER HAPPENED, IF JESUS HAD NEVBER COME INTO THE WORLD, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST SEPERATED FROM GOD FOREVER.
SOME OF YOU HERE TONNIGHT WILL BE IN THAT SAME PREDICAMENT - STILL IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS, BUT THE WHY OF CHRISTMAS MEANS YOU CAN BE REDEEMED AND MADE A CHILD OF GOD.
I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT A TRUE STORY TO DRIVE THIS TRUTH HOME TONIGHT. IT’S TOLD BY ERNEST GORDON INFACT THERE IS A FILM BASED ON THE TRUE STORY IT’S CALLED TO END ALL WARS.
IT’S ABOUT FOUR ALLIED POW’S WHO ENDURED HARSH TREATMENT FROM THEIR JAPANESE CAPTORS DURING WORLD WAR II WHILE BEING FORCED TO BUILD A RAILROAD THROUGH THE BURMESE JUNGLE. ONE OF THE POWS BY THE NAME OF DUSTY DEMONSTRATES THE GREATEST ACT OF SACRIFICE FOR HIS FRIENDS, HE FORGIVES HIS ENEMIES AND LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE IN ORDER TO REDEEM OTHERS.
IF THAT HAS NOT MOVED YOU I WANT YOU TO WATCH IT IN ACTION……….
• VIDEO SLOT TO END ALL WARS SACRIFICE - REDEMPTION
THAT’S WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU…….. THAT’S THEY WHY OF CHRISTMAS…….
JESUS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE IN ORDER TO SAVE YOU.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? THERE ARE ONLY TWO RESPONSES AVAILABLE TO YOU.
1. REJECT ONE YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY AND FORGET ALL ABOUT IT AS THAT JAPENEASE GENERAL DID CARRY ON LIVING YOUR LIFE WITHOUT HIM IN YOUR LIFE.
2. RESPONSE YOU CAN FALL ON YOUR KNESS AND CRY OUT TO JESUS CONFESSING YOU SINS, TURNING FROM ALL THAT YOU KNOW IS WRONG IN YOUR LIFE AND BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR!
3. RECEIVE THE CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART!
