LUKE 2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
This is the Christmas story as reported on by Luke. A story that is under attack today in America and all around the world. Good will toward men? Peace on earth? What happened? Separation of church and state! Atheist sign beside the nativity scene in WA. capitol. A Christian employee in Panama City FL was fired because she refused to greet the customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Last yr a school in the Midwest was sued because they put up Christmas decorations and failed to include the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. They had to put up a special decoration for Ramadan. At the airport in Seattle, a Christmas tree was displayed. They were sued by a man who won the right to display a menorah for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
In 1967, a new holiday was created to be celebrated at Christmas time...Kwanzaa. It was created by a man named Ron Everett, who later changed his name to Dr. Karenga and began practicing African traditions for black Americans here in the U.S. The situation in the capitol building at WA got so crazy with people wanting to do away with Christmas that a group wanted to put up a sign celebrating "Festivus" which was a made up holiday from the old Seinfeld show. Atheists want to totally do away with Christmas as a national holiday...and I think it is a poor reflection on this once great "Christian" nation.
I don’t mind people celebrating whatever they want to celebrate...it is the elimination of Christmas that irks me. With all the hoopla going around this year, I wanted to take a look at what life would be like without Christmas. What would your life be like without Christmas?
If Christmas had never happened there would be…no winter family gathering......nothing to look forward to as days get shorter and thermometers fall......no Christmas gifts......no holiday traditions.........Christmas carols.......decorations.......Christmas trees...Charlie Brown Christmas specials.....no Grintch who stole Christmas.....No Jimmy Stewart and it’s a wonderful life....and...Children would have to go to school the entire month of December. Without Christmas, December 25 would be a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day!
If there had never been a Christmas, the world would be far different than it is today – in ways you may never have imagined. For instance, when Jesus came, He taught His followers to love God, but also their neighbors! (Luke 10:27). To live out this idea, His followers invented the idea of organized charity.
It was the early Christian communities that stressed support for widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. They organized efforts to help those who were dying. They built, staffed, and paid for hospitals. In recent times, Christ’s followers have founded virtually every charitable organization on earth, including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, World Relief, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry, and Compassion International.
Without the birth of Christ, education would be very different today. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, and almost every one of the first 123 American colleges and universities were founded by Christians. Hard to imagine those schools that now teach evolution and deny the very existence of God were started as Christian universities.
If there had never been a Christmas, much of the good in this world would be missing. Much of the good you’ve experienced would be missing. Everyone has a Christmas memory. Think about yours right now.. Which Christmas memory stands out in your mind this morning....one that you’ll never forget? Without Christmas, that would never have happened. None of our great Christmas memories would have happened.
But without Christmas, something far worse wouldn’t have happened: Christ would not have come. I don’t even want to think about life without the birth of Jesus as a man. He came as one of us. Think about it for a minute. JOHN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Here was the creator, there from the beginning of time, the one that everything was made for and nothing was made without...the light on man....and He chose to come to earth as a fragile, vulnerable human. Why would such a sovereign being do that for us? What possible motive could He have had to come and endure such scorn and ridicule. To go through the pain of the cross, only to be rejected by the very people He died for. Only one reason that I can think of and it’s found in JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
It was purely the love of God that brought that baby to earth 2,000 yrs ago. It was His desire to have His creation dwell with Him and worship Him. We cannot understand the depth of God’s love for us. It is incomprehensible to our little minds that ANYONE...much less our creator...could love us that much. Especially when mankind treats Him the way we do.
EPH 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
It is so ironic to me to watch children open their presents on Christmas morning. The joy in their faces, the anticipation of what’s in those brightly wrapped gifts. The highlight of opening Christmas presents is to watch the expressions on our children’s faces as they unwrap that special gift that was picked out just for them. We want to get our kids a good and perfect gift, don’t we? It makes us feel good to give good gifts. What kind of feeling do you think God gets whenever one of His children open up the gift He gave especially for them?
Do you think that any child would leave a gift unopened if they knew it was theirs? Yet, to this day there remains for some an unopened gift from our heavenly Father. A very special one-of-a-kind gift.....fellowship with Jesus! God wants us all to have communion with Him. He doesn’t want anyone to be without this gift of salvation.....LUKE 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Christmas 2008 is past now. We are still able to celebrate the birth of our Saviour here in this country.....for now. I believe that we are in for a rough time as Christians. We will be asked to compromise the truths of God’s word, to accept things that are ungodly and unholy in the name of tolerance. There is one thing that God is not tolerant of, and that is unrepentant sin in the believers life. We must stand strong for God now more than ever. Be Holy as He is Holy...that’s our call. Listen, He knows when you’ve been bad or good.....so be good, for goodness sake!
"How can I be good, preach’a? It’s too hard. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t control my temper. I can’t resist temptation. I can’t stand to be around some of my in-laws." And it is impossible in yourself to live as God wants you to.....but I have good news! 1 PETER 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit
We must have God’s Spirit living within us.....diminishing our flesh and increasing Christ in us. Here then, we see the gift of God to the sinner....and the gift from God to the believer....LUKE 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Have you asked the Holy Spirit into your life? Do you live in a manner that is yielding to His Spirit? Have you put your flesh to death? Are you led by the Spirit? ROMANS 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
So then.....if you have never opened God’s free gift of salvation, He invites you to do so today. Don’t delay, do it now. None of us are promised tommorrow. And if you haven’t received His gift of the Holy Ghost, He invites you to unwrap that present this morning. Without the power of the Holy Ghost, life will be harder than it has to be. Christmas is over, but His gift of love for you will never end.
