December 24, 2023 - The Holiday Blind Spot
Notes
Transcript
Who remembers last Christmas?
Where you celebrated…?
Gifts you bought? Received?
Even though some of us can’t remember what we ate for dinner 2 nights ago - I think many of us (wives) - remember what happened last Christmas.
Today I’d like to put forth a PREMISE...
A thought - experiment (if you will) - And the sermon title today - points to this.
Tomorrow we’ll celebrate - [ ] - - Christmas - OR - - the birth of Jesus. (NOW - it’s NOT REALLY His birthday - we get it)
A few months from now - we’ll celebrate - [ ] - - Easter - OR - His death and resurrection.
My question today is - Well what about [ this ] - the time IN BETWEEN these two events - in the life of Christ?
His actual LIFE!??
NOW - over the years - I know that I very well MAY have given the impression that I’m not really a Christmas guy...
That it’s just not my thing.
That I MAY EVEN be - against it.
I would not say that I’m against it.
BUT - I would say that as I get older - and as I continue on my walk of faith...
I - no doubt - have become more and more - ON GUARD - i think - to the elevation of a day - over another...
…in relation to Christ.
AND SO - I started thinking -
During this Christmas SEASON - We celebrate His birth...
like - REALLY celebrate.
We DEEPLY ponder His coming.
We THANK Him for His coming
We GATHER together over His coming
We MAKE PLANS - 6 months in advance - over His coming
We set aside differences with family - OVER His coming
We tolerate those who BOTHER us - over His coming
We budget funds - in light of His coming (and MORE than that)
We invest money - Sometimes LOTS of money - in light of His coming
We carry out - decades-long - routines - in light of His coming
We love the idea of establishing NEW routines (as long as they don’t interfere with old ones) - in light of His coming
We’ll commit to a period of Scripture reading - in light of His coming
We’ll commit to disciplining our bodies - in light of His coming
We’ll get up extra early - willingly - over His coming.
We’ll prepare, and plan, and initiate - in light of His coming...
AND ALL - in the name of Christmas.
AND THEN....we begin to SMELL the next holiday on the horizon...
During Easter season - we celebrate His death and Resurrection
like REALLY celebrate...
We will DEEPLY ponder His death
We will Thank Him for His death and resurrection
We’ll gather together - in light of His death and resurrection
We’ll MAKE PLANS - 6 months in advance - over His death and resurrection
We set aside differences with family - OVER His death and resurrection
We tolerate those who BOTHER us - over His death and resurrection
We carry out - decades-long - routines - in light of His death and resurrection
We’ll commit to a period of Scripture reading - in light of His death and resurrection
We’ll commit to disciplining our bodies - in light of His death and resurrection
We’ll temporarily give up treats - over His death and resurrection
AND ALL - in the name of - Easter.
And this doesn’t really PHASE US....none of us...
BECAUSE we see and agree with things like this that we see on social media...
SLIDE: Chad Bird
SLIDE: Steve Lawson
Could it be - that we as Christians - live our lives in PARALLEL with the days we elevate?
What I mean by that is...
We CELEBRATE His birth - His coming...
And we just walked thru a SMALL list of the things we want to SEE and EXPERIENCE - in our church life - DURING this time...
AND - when THAT’s DONE - we look forward to the NEXT THING
We CELEBRATE His death and resurrection...
And we just walked thru a SMALL list of the things we want to SEE and EXPERIENCE - in our church life - DURING that time...
And my question is - one I’ve asked myself...
Do I live my life - that SAME way...
In PARALLEL with that pattern...
[hold up hands - demonstrate flow]
I CELEBRATE His birth - His coming ((Apex))
((Then down))
And then CELEBRATE His death and resurrection - ((Apex))
((Then down))
And this pattern is - to such a degree - that even the LOST world will live according to that SAME PATTERN.
OH YES.... Christmas
OH YES.... Easter
And so - Yes - His birth (awesome thing)
And YES - His death and resurrection (awesome thing)
But - what about His life?
What about His life - LIVED?
Where’s the - HOLIDAY for that?
Where’s the SPECIAL EVENING service for THAT?
There ISN’T one!
And so - COULD IT BE - that THAT - impacts us…in our walks of faith?
The first thing I’d like for us to consider is this:
SLIDE:
The birth of Jesus finds its purpose in the life of Jesus.
Now - we’re probably gonna hear MANY - “No Duh” things today - but I also think - if we DO THINK about these things - that maybe they haven’t impacted us like they should have.
The birth of Jesus (WHAT WE CELEBRATE this time of year) - -
FINDS PURPOSE in the Life of Jesus!
And we see this - IN scripture...
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Jesus was BORN into the world - for a reason...
THe came to save who? - - SINNERS
NOW - how are sinners saved? - This question FIRST - leads to other questions that need answers.
The NAME - implies the issue!
we’re called SINNERS - because - the name itself (sinners) - implies our issue!
SIN
SO - next question -
Why is SIN an issue?
God is Holy
4 Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Why is SIn an issue?
2. God’s Law reflects God’s Character
12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
God is described this SAME way in scripture...
Holy, righteous, and good.
And so WHY is SIN an issue?
3. Because SIN is a transgression of - THE LAW
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
4 Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law.
And so - THIS is the issue with SIN - it’s a BREAKING of the law of God...
It SEPARATES us from God.
AND so HOLDING to that thought -
How then would Jesus - SAVE SINNERS??
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Jesus says here - I CAME...
I was BORN (Christmas) - in order that I might - FULFILL the law!
And so YES - He CAME…He was BORN - YAY!
SO THAT - He could LIVE...
And so let’s put all this language together...
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
The LIFE of Jesus - is the PURPOSE of His birth!
He needed to FULFILL the Law in order to SAVE sinners from being - UNDER the LAW!
And it was HIS LIVING - that did that!
He was TEMPTED in all ways...
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
And so - YES - He came - He was born unto us...
And we CELEBRATE!
But does it STOP there for us?
Some might say - NO Mike - we celebrate His birth - knowing that it was His birth that ALLOWED Him to live and walk AMONG us!
OK.... but - why then is it such a head-turner for us - when we hear - that if we’re wrestling in a valley with Satan...
…that we can just - Stop Wrestling - and walk out of the valley?
DUE TO Christ’s VICTORY over that SIN?
- I THINK - that MAYBE - LIKE THIS next GRAPHIC on the screen - we just embrace the idea that...
SLIDE: STEVE LAWSON
- Christ was BORN to DIE
And so WE - are BORN AGAIN - to THEN SPEND ETERNITY with Christ in heaven we WE DIE.
And our lives just REFLECT that...
Our new Birth [ ]
Our resurrection unto eternal life in heaven [ ]
And maybe THAT’s the point of this sermon...
Jesus didn’t JUST COME to earth - SO THAT He could SAVE US from the FLAMES of Hell.
He ALSO came…to IMPACT our lives ON THIS EARTH…NOW
Let’s read this passage with a bit more context...
[[…continue in sin (ON THIS EARTH), that grace may abound?]]
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
…we too might WALK in the NEWNESS of life (On this EARTH)...
This is why Paul says...
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul says here - By Faith - Christ now lives in me.
Well - How did Christ live?
He WALKED - in victory.
He CONQUERED - SIN!
So Romans 7 is the “Christian Life” chapter -
The struggle we have with SIN - As Christians...
And then chapter 8 comes!
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
It says here (v4) - in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be FULFILLED (not by us) but IN us...
Christ’s - SIN CONQUERING righteousness - IN us.
See Christ was BORN into this world - to conquer sin - YET - we read this...
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
How do we do this?
How do we fight? How do we PUT to DEATH the sin inside of us?
Answer - Believe.
Rest in the Victory of Christ - OVER these things.
And disengage the battle. (FLEE - as the Bible says)
If the PURPOSE of Christ’s incarnation (His Birth) - was to Conquer SIN - FOR US...
THEN THAT purpose - Carries OVER INTO our Living...
The Purpose of OUR New Birth - is to THEN WALK in Christ’s power…His strength!!
The newness of Life… Christ’s LIFE!!
And so - COULD THIS be - the forgotten Holiday?
The LIFE of Jesus??
I think - FOR SURE - in our celebrations - The Life of Jesus is no doubt - the Holiday Blindspot.
Because think about it… What is the issue - with the other main religions? (Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses)
They’re ALL - Works based.
Well what does that imply?
Why do they believe they need to adhere to their sacraments?
Why do they believe they need to DO things to get to God?
Because they DISREGARD the - Life of Jesus.
They look to Christ’s Birth - and His Death - and they think that those things SIMPLY GIVE US - an opportunity to EARN OUR way to heaven - by DOING THINGS.
They don’t believe that Christ’s LIVING - was enough for THEM.
They don’t believe Jesus is SUFFICIENT.
And so TODAY - it goes out to us - Could this be the same for us - in some form or fashion...
Question
SLIDE:
Do we celebrate the birth of Christ without walking in the power of its purpose?
All that we’ve talked thru - has lead us to THIS question here...
it’s the Life of Christ - that is the Holiday Blindspot.
Something I think we should ask ourselves - every DAY - if not every Christmas.
So far today - we’ve looked at the Christmas side of this topic.
There’s still another side to this.
Not only does the Life of Jesus provide PURPOSE to the birth of Christ that we celebrate -
But the LIFE of Jesus also provides for us another question to ask...
SLIDE:
Do we celebrate the resurrection of Christ without walking in His victory which empowered it?
MIKE!! What are you DOING?
Talking about EASTER at a Christmas service??
THAT’s THE WHOLE POINT...
We soooo SEGREGATE the existence of Christ to the point where if we don’t hear songs about the BIRTH of Jesus on the radio - we think - WHAT??
We need to ALWAYS remember -
the Life of Christ EMPOWERED His resurrection!
NOW - as we stated earlier - we celebrate His death and resurrection...
We LOVE that He conquered death…!
And so we LOVE the idea that His VICTORY over Death will allow us to conquer the grave as well!
And make no mistake - that’s a GLORIOUS thing!!
But He came OUT of that GRAVE - BECAUSE of His LIVING!
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
It was LIFE - that set us FREE from DEATH!
Remember what Romans 6 says?
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Through SIN - we EARN - death
And though the Law REVEALS = OUR sin...
For CHRIST - the Law revealed HIS PERFECT character!
His PERFECT OBEDIENCE!
And so - Question?
DID Jesus NEED GRACE - to RISE from the grave?
NO!
His PERFECT LIFE - guaranteed Him rising from the GRAVE...
BECAUSE - the wages of SIN - is death!
He NEVER SINNED!
His LIFE - never EARNED death.
Jesus - NEVER sank in the water
Jesus - never found Himself in a valley - wrestling with sin
Jesus - never took another man’s wife to be his own - having her husband killed
Jesus - never sold His inheritance for a cheap thrill
Jesus - never doubted the plan of the Father
Jesus - never responded - eye for an eye
Jesus stayed on TOP of the water
On TOP of the valley
Instead of COMPROMISING righteousness - like WE do...
He DIED protecting it!
His Life - empowered HIS RISING FROM THE DEAD - the resurrection!
AND - it can empower us today...
TO CLOSE - let’s connect some dots - to hopefully empower us today.
Something I’ve been contemplating lately (in light of Christmas) is this...
Holiday Blindspot - we focus so much on...
Our NEW BIRTH (salvation) correlating to (Christmas)
And we focus SO MUCH on...
Our going to heaven when we die… (Our Resurrection - Easter)
…that we neglect THE IN-BETWEEN...
The power of Christ’s life… FOR our life.
I know the Bible says that we’ll deal with SIN in this life...
And that’s CERTAINLY true...
But we’re ALSO called to walk in the newness of life!
We’re called to keep in step with the Spirit...
We’re called to walk through this world as JUSTIFIED sinners!
We’re called = NOT to walk in FEAR...
of the WIND - as Peter did
Mankind -
But walk in Fear of the Lord!
We’re called to - KNOW WHO WE ARE - - IN Christ! TODAY - on this earth
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We are MORE THAN conquerors - because Christ CONQUERED.
And this CONQUERING…this VICTORY of Christ...
Has TWO sides to it.
Jesus REALLY DID die to forgive the SINS of those who REPENT and TRUST Him - - FULLY...
But Jesus ALSO - in LIVING the perfect LIFE - REALLY DID CONQUER SIN in this world!
Which MEANS - as I said weeks ago...
That THING that you’re wrestling with - It’s ALREADY been CONQUERED....
TRULY!!
It REALLY HAS!!
How do I KNOW?
Because the Law REALLY HAS been FULFILLED!!
Jesus MEANT what He said...
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
IT (the LAW) had been FULFILLED...
THINK ABOUT IT - Jesus said - It is finished....BEFORE He died!
Jesus DID IT ALL!
Which is WHY - when these other religions tell you that you NEED TO -
get water baptized to go to heaven
Pray these prayers to go to heaven
DO THESE things to go to heaven...
THEY ARE - IGNORING what Jesus said!
They are ADDING to what Jesus did!
They are telling you - that Jesus’ work - was not SUFFICIENT.
And so - listen - We ALL AGREE that we don’t believe that!
We HOPEFULLY would all say that Christ’s work IS SUFFICIENT...
Ok - great - and so SINCE it WAS...
He - WAS VICTORIOUS over sin...
And we NOW _ as BELIEVERS -
share in that victory!
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Listen - of course we’re not PERFECT...
We will FAIL…
We will MESS UP....
But that DOES NOT mean - that we are no LESS victorious - IN CHRIST!
Know this...
SLIDE:
Every sin battle that you lost in the past, was a battle against an already-defeated foe.
Jesus came for a reason...
And VICTORY was that reason!
What have we seen today?
SLIDE:
Do we celebrate the birth of Christ without walking in the power of its purpose?
Similarly -
We’ve heard stories of couples getting married - but then being killed in a car crash leaving the reception.
And we think - UUGGHH…they celebrated, but never got to WALK OUT the PURPOSE OF the celebration!
I think - we too may fall into this in our lives as believers.
No - again - I’m not proclaiming today that we don’t need to SIN anymore.
We WILL DEAL with sin…and because we’re HUMAN - we will fall…we will mess up...
BUT - We DO HAVE a weapon to FIGHT WITH - and it’s called - VICTORY!
Weird isn’t it?
If you grow up in a Christian church - usually you’ll learn and be taught -
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
AMEN - Yes!
but are we usually taught v10? the next verse?
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Christ came to earth - TO LIVE under the law - and ACCOMPLISH the law…perfectly.
He came - in order to be VICTORIOUS OVER SIN in this world!
We need to FIGHT - WITH VICTORY - Christ’s victory OVER that thing that we struggle with...!
And that takes us to the 2nd point we saw today.
SLIDE:
Do we celebrate the resurrection of Christ without walking in His victory which empowered it?
Christ conquered SIN - AND DEATH - because He accomplished the LAW…and did NOT SIN!
His victory - empowered His resurrection!
IF HE HAD sinned - He would STILL be dead!
BUT - Today - right now - He Lives!
And - as the song says -
Because He lives - I can face tomorrow
And so - Jesus Christ....BORN to DIE?
uhhh - yeah - but that’s not the whole story.
He was BORN - to LIVE = under the law - and UPHOLD it!
accomplish it.
And He did!
May we SEE CLEARLY - this Holiday Blindspot!
May we surrender to Jesus - FULLY - as our savior!
The One who is VICTORIOUS over SIN and DEATH!
Let’s Pray...
LORD’S TABLE
This brings us to the Lord’s Table…a time for each of us to reflect on our lives, to examine ourselves spiritually, and to remember the cost of our faith. We were bought with a price, and these elements remind us of this.
1. If you have never surrendered yourself to Jesus, I would say that He's waiting for you...
...waiting for you to understand that you can't save yourself...
...waiting for you to understand that you NEED Christ...
The bible says that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved!
Will you call out to Him today? IF YES - then come and partake...
BUT - if you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus - and you refuse to do so, then DON'T come and partake...
The Bible says not to take this table lightly. Scripture says – “ whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
SO - Take time now and examine yourself before the Lord.
Mark 14:
22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
“do this…in remembrance of me.”
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen