No Christmas?
Mt 2:1-15
INTRO: Last Year a small book by John Grishom called “Skipping Christmas” was a hit. About a couple Luther & Nora Krank tired of all the commercialism & stress of Christmas, decided to skip it, no lights, no gifts no celebrations. From that the book tells of all the ramificatiosn with neighbor & friends. Realizing they couldn’t skip Christmas no matter how hard they tried
**Of course we The Grinch that Stole Christmas famous book & movie
A. But I submit to you, That Satan is the Grinch that has tried to
steal or stop Christmas since the beginning & continues to
steal its true meaning,
1. Since the first promise of the seed of the woman, the
coming Messiah. He has made every effort to stop Jesus’ birth
a. Destroy Abraham or his descendants
2. Now it is time for Jesus to come into the world, has Joseph
& Mary travel a long way hoping for delivery complications
a. Birth in filthy barn, filth, cold, disease, crazed animals
3. Jesus is born but can still stop Christmas, get rid of the baby
a. Herod the Great, the Awful, Tyrant
4. Three Wise-men/ Kings come seeking Him
a. Wise men still seek Jesus
b. Natural to come to local leader, surely he knows of the
birth of the King
5. Pointed the way to Bethlehem, & asked to return the news
so Herod can worship the King, yeh, Right!
a. He lied, later we find out after the wise men were warned
of God to return home another route
b. Herod had ALL the babies 2yrs & down murdered
6. What if the Grinch/Satan had succeeded? Jesus never was
born or during the Christmas season as a baby, He was
murdered?
a. What if Christmas wasn’t Christmas? Never was or has
been?
I. No Rejoicing: Glad Tidings Celebration
A. All these years Christmas has developed from a simple
recognition of the birth of the Messiah
1. To a Mega commercialized, season with things that has
little to nothing to do with the birth of the Savior
2. Yet we celebrate
a. We keep trying to get back to the original intent of the
season. Keep the reason of the Season Jesus
3. Christmas is a family time, a joyous time a time for
memories, fantasies, giving, visiting, singing & love
a. Yet if no Christmas, none would be
b. It is the Christian holiday of Christmas that has affected all
other religious holidays, Hanukah tries to keep up but it
was never the festive occasion that Christmas is
1. No other religion has a holiday on the scale or as festive as
Christmas
4. No Christmas would do away with most celebrations in the
world
5. Of course we wouldn’t have the on going debate about
a. Religion vs secular ideals & freedom or from religion
1. Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holiday or Christmas parades or
Holiday parades or winter Solstice or Christmas break in school
B. No parties at work or school
1. No gift exchange, no dirty Santa,
2. No hassles shopping, mall, finding the perfect gift or getting
that gift for the person who already has everything
a. Well there is something good
3. No Search for the perfect Christmas tree
a. No decorating the tree or the house
b. No Christmas specials on tv or Christmas song on the
radio
c. No annual “It’s a Wonderful Life”
4. Getting this, things would be drab, dull
a. We wouldn’t have this holiday to look forward to all year,
we only have to look forward to Tax Day or April Fools
Day or Holloween
1. I submit to you there wouldn’t be a “Thanksgiving Day’
2. No Redeemer, No God, No one to give thanks to
5. With all the stress, hoopla, hassles of Christmas I am glad
we have it
a. But let me give some more consequences of No Christmas
II. No Redemption: Gospel/ Gift
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death;
Ga 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
…. but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
1Jo 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
A. WE needed a gift from God
1. Man is sinful, is a fallen creature, racked by the disease of
sin, condemned lost for ever
2. Man lives in this fallen condition & we see the results ever
day around us in our world & in our own life
a. If we will be honest, there are things we don’t like
b. But Our Holy Creator see more in us than He intended
1. Sin nature, rebelliousness, Pride, greed, selfishness, Uncontrolled
passions, rage, anger, lusts,
2. We commit sin each day of our life and cannot work a remedy for
our self
3. As humans who are sinners, we sin,
a. It is that human flaw that condemns us reveals itself in our
conduct, behavior, habits & choices
4. Each person is Lost, separated from God, hopeless & hell bound
a. Eternity doomed, we need mercy, Grace Help from God
5. Christmas is the beginning of the Help
a. God’s gift to mankind started in Bethlehem
**Hurried & hassled Christmas shoppers crush into the elevator
the door closes. Silence. A lady with 2 kids hanging on arms loaded with bags frustrated with it all & exasperated says, Whoever thought of the Christmas thing should be hung.’ From the back of the elevator some body said, They already did, hung him on a cross
B. Gift of God is eternal life through…..?
1. Religion, Santa Clause, Government benefits
a. Education, financial stability. Inner peace
2. A Savior willing to take away Sin’s curse
a. A Redeemer who pays our debt
b. A God who forgives us of OUR Transgressions
c. A Cleansing Agent that washes away our sin, Blood
3. Something we can afford, because we are bankrupt
a. Man can’t buy himself out of his predicament
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;
b. Man can’t work it out,
1. If we could start today & be perfect for the rest of our life, how
would that solve our past sin debt
2. If we are spiritually dead how can we do spiritually good works at
all?
3. If we can work our way to heaven, why Christmas, why Jesus & the
cross at all? Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
4. God’s Grace is greater than our sin
5. No Christmas, No Gift, No Good news, No Salvation
III. No Rejoicing: Worship
Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see
A. Because God is Good, because God is Love
1. His Grace has reached down to us
2. Many a poor wretched sinners have been dramatically
changed
a. The old Slaver John Newton was never the same
b. Countless testimonies in history and in our own personal
lives proclaim God’s Grace
3. We rejoice today because not that another baby was born
a. But life was born anew for man-kind
4. We rejoice cause we have a savior, a God that doesn’t
demand we die, but He died for us
a. A God that all us to life, now & in eternity
b. A God that Loves us in spite of our sin, unconditionally
1. A God who knows us perfectly yet Loves us
5. A God who doesn’t need me, but wants me,
a. A God who saved me perfectly & completely
Then sings my soul, my savior God, to Thee; How Great Thou Art, how great thou Art
B. Joy comes because of our redemption,
1. Before it was me, myself & I
2. But something happens to a person, when Jesus comes in
a. Jesus makes all the difference in the world
Ps 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
3. Without Christmas there would be no Easter
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
a. I have always said Easter is more important to the
Christian
b. But if there is no Virgin Birth, if there is no baby Jesus
c. There is no Cross of Calvary or a savior to die & raise
from the grave for our hope
4. We are wasting our time, we are a miserable people without
Christmas
IV. No Revolution of Society: Benefits of Christ & Christianity on the World Mt 13:31-32 “..The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
A. Before that first Christmas the world was a cruel, & dark in
the depravity of man
1. Everything Jesus touched , He utterly Transformed
Re 21:5 “..Behold, I make all things new.”
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
a. From the individual to families to cities, & cultures &
nations & the world
b. Our world is better off because of Christmas, because
Jesus was born
2. Quick over view of what ahs improved& transformed our
world for the better because Christ & Christianity
a. Medical care, hospitals became acceptable, norms because
of the Christian compassion
b. Education for All became a theme for believers
c. Compassion for All, help for the poor & needy
d. Government of the people for the people & by the people
e. Civil Liberties: Freedom for all races, Woman rights
f. Arts: some of the greatest works of art is based on
scripture & biblical beliefs
g. Discovery of the new World, Despite the rewriting of History.
Columbus a devout Christian saw his voyage as fulfillment of
Isaiah’s prophecies
h. higher standard of Justice, ethics and moral code
i. civilization of the uncivilized
3. Yes we can find fault with Christianity, there has always
been & always will be those who abuse the name of Christ
a. Who do wrong in the name of Christianity just as have in
government, education & science
1. Re-establishes the point of man’s depravity
4. The positive contribution to man-kind is undeniable
a. All because a baby was born in Bethlehem who changed
men’s hearts & by God’s power changed their world
V. No Resolve: Reason to Serve
A. The greatest service, work a person can be involved in is the
Work of the Lord
1. Whether at school, work, on the farm, street corner, at the
store in the church or on the Foreign Mission field
2. We have a calling, a Charge, a Great Commission to Go tell
a. To tell the old old story of Jesus and his love
3. Because of Christmas we share the greatest love story of
ALL TIME
4. Jesus came, was born in old mean cruel dark sinful world
a. He came through a miraculous birth, but in a filthy dirty
barn so we can know Our God has not forgotten any
5. Because of All our God has done for us, can we do any less
than what He has called each to do
a. Because of Christmas is real
1. Go tell, tell about Jesus, the man that knows everything you have
ever done, yet loves and forgives
2. Go tell of a God who cares and can change one life
3. Go tell there is hope, love & Joy
