Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning and merry Christmas!

We are so glad you have come here today to celebrate the reason for the season who is Jesus Christ.

Don’t get me wrong, Christmas is FULL of great things and traditions.

We LOVE getting together with family we haven’t seen in a while.

We play games, tell jokes, chase dogs, watch movies, sit in front of the fireplace, and so on.

We LOVE all the great food we share at Christmas time.

Everyone breaks out their favorite dish… and they are ALL good!

Especially the ones that feature… chocolate.

Those are my personal favorites.

We LOVE the gift exchanges.

We have fun with presenting family members with things we think they will like and enjoy.

We LOVE taking a break from the weekly routine.

It is nice to shut down for a moment and remember the things that matter most.

But at the heart of this season is someone we LOVE the most… and that is the greatest gift this world has eve received… Jesus Christ.

We decorate our homes, set up the trees, do all of the shopping, prepare all the food, memorize the best punch lines and such… but the most important part of this season is represented by what is often the least glamorous part of the decor.

It isn’t often decked out with glitz and glamour.

It isn’t often adorned with flashing lights or tinsel.

Most often it is a simple display, made of wood or hay… that presents a scene that is forever ingrained in our memories… and rightfully so.

It isn’t a scene of luxury or comfort.

It isn’t a scene of convenience or leisure.

It is a scene of promise… a scene of love.

It is a scene like no other that presents the moment our Savior was born.

Can you remember what it looked like… when your first child arrived in this world?

I can remember the sights and the sounds.

I can remember the security of the hospital and the help of the trained staff.

I can remember the presentation of my son… and the sound of his first cry.

I can remember the moment Kristy held him and the sound of her voice.

But for Jesus, it was a different story.

He didn’t come in a hospital or even a palace.

He didn’t come in the comfort of someone’s home or bedroom.

He arrived to the sounds of animals in a stable, hay for a bed.

He came in a way that would be hard for us to imagine…

And the manger scene helps us to see the humble beginning… the unique way in which our Savior came to this world.

And in all reality… it wasn’t so much about how He came - specifically born in a stable and laid in a manger.

What was most important was why He came.

Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem… just as the prophecies had foretold… and He came in the name of love.

Jesus is the heart of Christmas… and the heart of Christmas is love.

Today we close out our Christmas series with a message on love.

We have been in a sermon series where we have discovered the heart of Christmas.

It can be easy to get lost in all the gifts, decorations, and parties and miss the central focus of the Christmas season.

Jesus was born to bring the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love, which is the real reason for Christmas.

The first week we learned that we are offered hope in the middle of our circumstances because of God’s faithfulness.

The hope we have in Jesus is not a wishful hope or desire.

It is a PROMISE.

A Guarantee.

In Christ, hope takes on new meaning!

The second week we looked at the wonderful gift of peace that Jesus’s sacrifice makes available to us.

Again, this peace is unlike anything that can be found in this world.

In Christ, peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of our Savior.

In Christ, peace takes on new meaning!

Last week we learned that joy is ours no matter the circumstances because God dwells with us.

Our joy is not based off how we feel or how things are going.

It is based off the truth that we have been saved and that God’s presence is forever with us!

We can walk through the valley and still experience the fullness of His joy.

In Christ, joy takes on new meaning!

For this final week of our series, we will take a look at a theme within the scriptures that truly holds all of it together.

At the heart of Christmas is the great love of God for each and every one of us.

So… let’s talk about gifts for a moment.

Some of us have already had our gift exchanges and some are still waiting to unwrap those packages under the tree.

Now… have you ever received a gift before that… left you speechless for all the wrong reasons?

Kind of like the big pink bunny suit in “The Christmas Story?” Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say in such moments… so I have a few lines for you to tuck in your memory just in case you face this awkward moment.

Well, well, well, now, there’s a gift!

No, really, I didn’t know that there was a Chia Pet tie! Oh, wow! It’s a clip-on too!

You know, I always wanted one of these!

Jog my memory—what’s it called again?

You know what?

I’m going to find a special place to put this.

Boy, you don’t see craftsmanship like that every day!

And it’s such an interesting color too!

You say that was the last one?

Am I glad that you snapped that baby up!

You shouldn’t have!

No, really, I mean it.

You really shouldn’t have!

I’m sure we have all been there, right?

And yes… if we are completely honest, those moments can be awkward and we do our best to make the best of it.

It’s the thought that counts right?

Gift giving is an art.

You have to know the person, their likes and dislikes.

You have to know their needs and wants, their tastes and desires.

Sometimes we nail it… and other times it falls flat.

This morning, we are going to talk about the most amazing gift this world has ever received.

With this gift, there is no question regarding the motive or the reason behind why He was given.

When He arrived, it was good news that brought joy to all who would receive.

When God sent his son to be born, it was an expression of his unfailing and relentless love.

His love is a gift that is thoughtful because it meets our greatest need—our sinful state.

It is a gift that is priceless because it could never be purchased apart from Christ’s blood.

It is a gift that is timeless because the grace of God is never ending.

Above all else, at the heart of Christmas is love.

God’s gift of love to us is… perfect.

And we are going to look at just how perfect this gift is for each and every one of us today.

GOD’S GIFT WAS RIGHT ON TIME

Have you ever received a present from someone and you could not believe how perfect the timing was?

Maybe because of something you were going through or because of a need that was met, it was as if the giver knew just what you wanted or needed.

The book of Galatians talks about the timing of Christmas as Paul wrote to the church in Galatia.

From the moment creation was broken by sin, God began to unfurl a plan to restore and rescue all that he had made.

The Bible is an account of his divine efforts and faithfulness to reverse the effects of the Fall.

Motivated by love, God partners with those who love and trust him to enact the greatest rescue plan in history.

Paul wrote that when Jesus came and was born to Mary, the fullness of time had come.

It was the right moment in history to send his son to make a way for the world to be restored.