Christmas Challenge

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship Christmas always carries with the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus. This time of year people are more open than other times of the year to talking about Jesus, or to attending a worship service that focuses on Christmas. But, this year I think the Christmas holiday brings an even greater chance for the church to be a witness. People are looking for the decorations, music, and traditions of Christmas to lift them up out of the struggles of 2020. (Pandemic, politics, economy, etc) And, the lights, desserts, presents, and even family time will not be enough to fill the void that exists in their hearts... and that’s where we come in. It is in the darkness of our culture that we shine brightest...

Christmas should be Christianity on Display During the advent season we display our faith in Christ to the world through our celebrations and traditions. Our celebrations and traditions are part of the way that we worship God through Christmas. As we begin, I’d like to ask you to consider this question: “Do you celebrate Christmas differently than someone who doesn’t live for Jesus?” What are the foundations of your Christmas traditions? What are the influences that shape your traditions? How are your traditions shaping your family and sharing the gospel? Apart from attending church services in December, is there anything else uniquely Christian about your Christmas celebrations and traditions? What are the traditions that you look forward to each year, and how do the focus on Christ, or depend on Christ? Could you celebrate Christmas without Jesus? What I mean is that if Jesus did not exist, would it end Christmas for you? Because, there are hundreds of millions, actually billions of people who celebrate Christmas each year without Christ. But, you should not be able to celebrate Christmas without Jesus... and any form of Christmas that doesn’t focus and center on Jesus is not the lift that the world needs at the end of 2023.

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship The Advent Challenge is designed to focus your attention on celebrating Jesus at Christmas in ways that grow your faith, and share the Gospel. Over the next three weeks our goal is to examine ways you can grow in your faith and share the gospel. The Advent Challenge sermon series explores the Christianity of Christmas and how we can grow our lives and the kingdom this Christmas season.

Christmas is the celebration of a person, not an event.

At Christmas we celebrate a person, not an event... the event is only significant because of the person. Plenty of people are born, or arrive, but only one is worthy of our worship... and this person is Jesus. Luke 1:26–38 (CSB) 26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged, to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship Luke 2:1–7 (CSB) In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:8–14 (CSB) 8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! Luke 2:15–20 (CSB) 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told. In the same way that Christmas is about a person... Worship is not about a place or an event, it is about a person.

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship Worship is not about a place or an event, it is about a person. “14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (CSB) John 4:23 (CSB) 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. Worship is rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ. John 14:6 (CSB) 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Worship is what you were created to do John 4:23 (CSB) 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. God wants worshippers, and through your faith in Christ you are saved to worship God with your life. “You were made to worship God. If you are not worshiping the Lord, you're not doing what you were designed to do.” Adrian Rogers Worship is “vertical and horizontal” and it is “personal and public.” Too often we diminish worship to either what we say and do for God, or what we say and do for others. Its both... Mark 12:30–31 says, (CSB) 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself., There is no other command greater than these.” Worship is vertical and horizontal. You cannot worship God fully if you love Him and not your neighbor.

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship In the same way many people compartmentalize worship as either personal or public. Worship is personal, but it is also public. Vertical worship is both personal and public Personal- Time in the Word, in song, meditating, journaling Public- Preaching the Word, singing the Word, praying the Word Horizontal worship is both personal and public. Personal in your relationships with others Public in your witness and also the witness of the church. Worship motivates and fuels sharing the gospel. This Week’s Challenge is to celebrate Christ personally and publicly each day by focusing on your vertical relationship with God, and your horizontal relationship with others. Vertical Personal time with God (Rooted Journals, Time with God, don’t be afraid to include music) Sunday Morning Worship Horizontal 1. Serving others Love your neighbor means love others in the same way you want them to do for you. Identity a person, family, or local organization that you can serve or help this week, then make a plan and do it. 2. Your witness Your life (words, deeds, etc) is an act of worship. How you live, who other people see you as is a way to demonstrate the goodness and grace of God. Let Christmas be a time where you prioritize living your life worthy of the name of Jesus. 3. Sharing the Gospel You can’t really love your neighbor if you don’t share the gospel you believe in. There’s no Christian reason to justify a life for God that doesn’t involve sharing the

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship gospel and making disciples. I am praying for God to ignite a passion in our church to see people in our city and in your neighborhoods saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Sharing the gospel means relationship, it’s ok if you don’t know the person before you share, but you must be committed to being close to the person after you share. They may have questions, they may get saved, the goal isn’t to say you did your part, the goal is for you to be an instrument that God uses to save someone from sin and bring them into His family. Pick one person or family this Christmas to pray for, share the gospel with, and invite them to a meal or even to attend church or one of our Christmas events with you. (The goal is their salvation, baptism, church, and growth) You ever get invited to a party and when you get there the person who invited you to the party doesn’t even talk to you? Yeah, me too... it stunk... and you shouldn’t be that way as a Christian either. Don’t invite someone to church and then not sit with them. Don’t share the gospel with someone and not be willing to make room for a relationship with them Too many church goers want people to be saved, but they don’t want anything to change in their personal life or their church for that to happen. As if there is some other group out there that will be there for all the people that God Is saving, but, we are the group that God has called to make disciples... we are the ones He has called and placed here to love others the same way we love ourselves. In Isaiah 58, God was frustrated with Israel for fasting from food while they ignored the hungry, I believe He feels the same way about the church, or Christian, who attends and gives, but doesn’t share the gospel. Worship is what you were created to do, and you worship God vertically and horizontally, and personally and publicly... The Advent Challenge is designed to focus your attention on celebrating Jesus at Christmas in ways that grow your faith, and share the Gospel.

Advent Challenge 2023 Christmas as Worship Commit to growing this week in worship, and sharing the gospel this week as worship.