WHEN THE GRINCH DID WHOVILLE A FAVOR
Lk. 2:6-14
INTRODUCTION
A. CHRISTMAS QUIZ
See how well we know the facts about the first Christmas: 1. When Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, how did they get there?
a. They walked
b. Joseph walked; Mary rode a donkey
c. They took a chariot
d. We don’t really know
(The correct answer is “D.” The Bible gives no record of their means of travel.)
2. How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
a. A multitude
b. Two Gabriel and Michael
c. One
d. Not sure
(The right response is “C.” Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them…”)
3. What song did the angels sing?
a. “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
b. “Joy to the World”
c. “Glory to God in the Highest”
d. None of the above
(This is a trick question. The correct choice is “D.” According to Luke 2:13, they were: “…praising God and saying…” There’s no mention of them singing anything.)
4. What animals were present at Jesus’ birth?
a. Cows, sheep and camels
b. Horses, sheep and donkeys
c. Lions and tigers and bears
d. None of the above
(There is no mention in the Bible about any animals being present. The answer is “D.”)
5. In what books of the Bible can you find the Christmas story?
a. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
b. Matthew and Luke
c. Mark and Matthew
d. Matthew, Mark and Luke
(The right choice is “B” -- Matthew and Luke.)
B. TEXT
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
C. THESIS
1. This is the third in our series on “The Grinch,” the green, fuzzy creature in Dr. Seuss’ story who doesn’t like Christmas.
2. You see, he thought that Christmas was just the presents, the lights, the food, the songs and the decorations – all things that could be bought in a store.
3. He had the same wrong concept of Christmas many Americans do. But after he’d stolen all the Christmas trappings, he made a discovery – that Christmas was more than he thought! Let’s see a video of it:
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8J-YmVs1j0
5. THE GRINCH MADE THREE DISCOVERIES:
a. There are Two Christmases;
b. Christmas Can’t fit in a box;
c. Christmas Isn’t a Thing, but a Person!
6. The title of this message is “When the Grinch Did Whoville a Favor!”
I. THE TWO CHRISTMASES
Grinch finally saw that there’s the artificial Christmas that
we see, but there’s another invisible Christmas behind it that is the real Christmas!
A. THE CONSUMER CHRISTMAS
1. WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT CHRISTMAS?
A Barna Research Group poll found that:
a. 37% of adults (88% identified themselves as Christians) said the birth of Jesus is the most important aspect of Christmas.
b. 44% said family time is the most important.
c. 3% said presents or parties were the most important part.
d. 3% said the most important part of Christmas was that they got a Paid Holiday.
e. Barna commented, "Americans are more likely to correctly recall the significance of April 15 than they are to connect Christmas with the birth of Jesus.
2. ILLUS.: OMITING JESUS
a. Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal.
b. One lady replied, “We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy.” “But where is he?” inquired the friend.
c. “Oh,” said the mother, “you didn’t think I’d bring him, did you?”
d. That’s not too different from the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas! [Bible.org]
3. So WHAT HAS CHRISTMAS BECOME?
a. A month-long shopping spree
b. A time of gaining seven to ten pounds
c. Enduring traffic jams at the local mall, Wal-Mart
d. The retailer’s calendar starts celebrating Christmas the day after Halloween. By the time we actually get to December 25th, we’re more than ready for the whole thing to be over!
B. THE GENUINE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS
1. The real Christmas has nothing at all to do with
*the number of shopping days left
*planning elaborate family dinners
*whether there are gifts under the tree
*or whether there is a tree at all.
2. The REAL Christmas is that:
*God has come down as the Baby of Bethlehem
*Salvation has Dawned
*Lamb of God, Who takes away…Jn. 1:29
*Lion of the Tribe of Judah has Prevailed Rev.5:5
*The Light of the World dispels the Darkness Jn. 8:12
*The Prince of Peace Banishes Fear, Isa. 9:6
*Resurrection & Life Defeated Death Jn. 11:25
*Emmanuel, “God with Us”, has come! Mt. 1:23
3. Christmas really has to do with being set free from fear, poor self-image, and discouragement. “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed!”
4. Christmas is about Expectation. “This same Jesus will come again”, the angel said in Acts 1:11. Jesus came once, but He is coming again! Christmas reminds us of that. Let’s expect it!
II. CHRISTMAS CAN’T FIT IN A BOX
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE WISH FOR, ARE NOT THE KIND OF THINGS YOU CAN PUT IN A BOX. GOD HAS SEVERAL GIFTS HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU FOR CHRISTMAS:
A. LOVE
1. Love is NOT something that you can buy at the store, but everyone in the world wants it. Human love is so fickle, so transitory and undependable.
2. But the love of God surpasses them all; it has no conditions and never changes. It’s extremely rare on earth, but the good news is, it’s not rare in heaven.
3. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
4. God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness”. Jer. 31:3
5. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Romans 8:38-39.
6. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may…grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge”. Eph. 3:17-19.
7. GOD OFFERS YOU THAT KIND OF LOVE THIS
CHRISTMAS. Jesus came so that you could know how much God loves you!
B. GOOD HEALTH
1. Many people would gladly give up all their Christmas presents if they could have their health restored.
2. Health is another of the intangibles that can’t be bought and put in a box, yet it’s one of the things we want the most.
C. FORGIVENESS
1. Forgiveness is another gift God wants to give you this Christmas – freedom from past guilt.
2. The angel said to Joseph, “…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”. Mt. 1:21
3. Jesus was born to atone for the sins of the world. HE IS OUR FORGIVENESS! By His sacrifice we are justified; “just as if I’d” never sinned at all.
4. This Christmas, why don’t you seek the gift of forgiveness. God says that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
D. HAPPINESS
1. I’ve gone to foreign countries and seen poor people, who had very little from a material perspective, but who were very happy.
2. Why were they happy? Because if you have food, clothing, shelter, a loving family and God in your heart, you don’t really need anything else to be happy.
3. But in our complex society, we think we must have cars, computers, microwaves, cell phones, 4 wheelers, boats, designer clothes, job promotions, kids that excel in music, sports, education, etc. to be happy.
4. Our western lifestyle is costly, hard to maintain, and takes two incomes. As a result, our lives are hurried, rushed, and pressurized. Studies show that the wealthier a person is, the less happy.
5. Paul said, “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can
do everything through him who gives me strength”. Phil. 4:11-13.
6. This Christmas let’s remember the words Jesus said to us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's [or woman’s] life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. Luke 12:15.
III. CHRISTMAS ISN’T A THING, BUT A PERSON
A. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH LAME PRESENTS?
1. We all get them; presents we don’t like or can’t use.
2. What adults say they do with that not-quite-right holiday gift: Survey Says...
31%: Keep it
30%: Hide it
13%: Toss it
12%: Give it away (re-gift it)
6%: Return it
B. THE GIFT OF A PERSON
God’s Christmas gift is not a worthless gift or something tacky; God gave us His own Son – He’s the best gift we could get.
1. ILLUSTRATION.
a. Pastor Clifford Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. "They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation.
b. When Dad unpacked the microwave and plugged it in, literally within seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into two frowns! Even after reading the directions, they couldn’t make it work.
c. Two days later, my mother was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave oven even to boil water.
d. ’To get this darn thing to work,’ she exclaimed, ’I really don’t need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!’"
2. When God gave the gift of salvation, he didn’t send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son.
CONCLUSION
A. THE SMALLEST GIFT
1. A family was opening gifts on Christmas morning. They were all discussing who had given the biggest gift. The youngest child wanted to watch his parents open his special gift. But it was nowhere to be found. The family began clearing away the paper and still couldn’t find it. "You need to get bigger gifts. You don't lose big gifts," his older sister said laughing.
2. "But it was the biggest gift of all," the child replied. He sat down and began to cry. "Is this it?" his brother asked as he held a little box in his hand. "I almost stepped on it." "That's the biggest gift of all?" the sister
said mockingly. "What a joke!" "It is! It is!" he shouted back. "You'll see!"
3. Grabbing it from his brother's hand he handed it his Mom & Dad. Everyone stopped what they were doing to see what he had given. Carefully Mom unwrapped the gift and opened the box.
4. "Oh, my!" she said as she slowly sat down on the couch. "What? What is it?" someone said. Dad took a look and said, "Oh, I see." he said. Looking at his wife he humbly said, "It is indeed the biggest gift."
5. Then Mom reached in, pulled out the gift and placed it on her hand.
It was the Christ Child in the cradle. "But he took it from..." his sister began to say until Mom interrupted her. "He took it from the story of Christmas. The real reason we should be celebrating," she said.
6. The small child explained..."Every year we think about how to give the biggest gift. The pastor told us that the greatest gift God ever gave us was Jesus. Then I thought that nobody could ever out-give God. So my gift to you and Dad was the Biggest gift of all...ever!"
7. Suddenly it was silent. Mom glanced around the room and humbly said, "I am ashamed. We had forgotten the meaning of it all. Come here. You were right. The Littlest One was indeed the Biggest Gift of all!" Bob Perks
B. THE CALL
1. Can we see where we’ve thought Christmas was mainly about “the stuff” of Christmas and not about the
Miracle of God’s great Gift of His Son?
2. Do you need God’s love, forgiveness, healing, and inner joy this Christmas? We need to learn how to receive these gifts from God!
3. What will you give Jesus for His birthday this year? What God wants is for you to give your life to Him. That’s tops on His Christmas wish list!
4. Let’s pray!
