28. Christmas in… August?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz navidad! Joyeux noël! Buon Natale! God jul!
Prayer: O God, Giver of grace, Father of love, turn the hearts of all your servants to yourself, that we may be found always rooted in faith and fruitful in works, through Jesus Christ our Lord—Amen.
A classic opening scene to an action movie…
The Christmas story in Matthew 1:18-25.
The Big Idea (from Matt 1:23): God came for you.
Implications
Implications
When you start following Jesus, you soon realize that your life doesn’t look like his.
Love God (Mark 12:30)… I don’t do that.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Love your neighbor (Mark 12:31)… I don’t do that.
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Love your enemies (Matt 5:44; Prov 25:21)… No one does that.
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
Joy + Poverty = Generosity (2 Cor 8:2)… That’s not what my life looks like.
2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
You realize, “I don’t measure up. I shouldn’t be here.” And you despair.
And that’s when Jesus turns around and says, “I know. That’s why I came for you.”
“I’m a doctor. I didn’t come just for the healthy. I came for the sick.”
“I’m a rescuer. I didn’t come just for the ones who know where they are. I came to seek and to save the lost.”
“I’m a redeemer. I didn’t come just for those who are good. I came to set the captives free.”
“I’m a substitute. I didn’t come just for the righteous. I came to take the place of the guilty.”
“I’m a helper. I came for the weak, the weary, the wounded, the poor, and for those who cannot help themselves.”
“I’m a savior. I came for those who need saving.” See Matthew 1:21.
Application
Application
For those who need saving: God came for you. Will you go with him?
For those who have been saved: Read from Tripp devotional…