Christmas 2024-Love

Even though we celebrate Christmas every single year... there's still seems to be some confusion regarding the details of the story... from time-to-time.

I heard about a ten-year old boy that had a Christmas question and so he asked his Grandmother after church... "Which Virgin was the mother of Jesus?" He said, "I can't remember her name. Was it the Virgin Mary... or was it the King James Virgin?"

For some of us here today... there still may be a little confusion regarding what Christmas is all about. May I remind you? It's about a God that loved you so much... that He sent His One and only Son to the earth... so that you could be forgiven of your sins... and become a child of the King... for all eternity.

[John 3:16] says, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

Jesus Christ came... as the Son of God and God the Son... He was fully man and fully God... and He paid the ransom for our sin with his own life...so that we (sinful people from all walks of life) could be saved and seen as righteous in the eyes of God. So, what is Christmas all about?

Christmas is the celebration of God's salvation. It's a season that reminds us... just how much God loves us.

- God demonstrate His love... by sending His Son.

- But God also demonstrated His love... by sacrificing His Son.

[Romans 5:8] tell us, "But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Today, we look to the cradle, and we celebrate the birth of our Savior... but we also look to the cross and remember the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. ]

Today we celebrate - because He's coming again! AMEN!?

Over the past 4 weeks, we've been walking through a series... and really, a season of ADVENT - that word "Advent" means "to wait" or "to anticipate."

And we've seen how Christmas was the culmination of Advent #1 - 2,000 years ago, God's people were waiting for the Messiah... and they were waiting because God had promised them... that He would send a Savior. And you know what? 700 years after the promise was made, the promise was fulfilled, and Jesus Christ was born.

[Luke 2:11] says, "Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord." was That verse says... Jesus born for you! ... Jesus came... Christmas came... and the wait was finally over.

And yet, today, 2,000 years later... we're still waiting. Aren't we? This is Advent #2. And I say that because...

We're no longer waiting for God to send a Savior... (because He's already done it) ... We're now waiting for our King to come back for His kids! ... and in the same way God fulfilled His first promise and every other promise He's ever made... we know and believe that Jesus is coming again! Amen?

The first time Jesus came - he came in the form of a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Shepherds came to see him. Wise men brought Him gifts. There was a star in the sky and only a handful of people surrounding his manger...

But the next time Jesus comes - The Bible says... Every eye will see... Every knee will bow... and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He will be recognized by every single person on the earth and Heaven will beam of His glory.

Do you get it? When Jesus returns, He will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... On that day, He will have defeated death once and for all... and you know what? That day could be... TODAY... it could be TOMORROW morning before you wake up...

The question is: Are you ready for that day?

Let me tell you 3 things about the Christmas story... that still blow my mind.

1. Jesus came for imperfect people (like me)

[Romans 3:23] says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God."

That goes for all of us. The Bible says that because we're imperfect... because we've sinned, we can't get to God on our own. (Good person, Go to church, Read the Bible - doesn't work!)

But God loves us anyways. He doesn't love a future version or a more-improved version of you. He loves you right now! And He demonstrated that love by sending His Son Jesus to pay for our sins & make a way for us to go to Heaven!

[Romans 6:23] says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

That says we deserve death because of our sin (eternal separation from God in a real place called Hell).

But not only do we deserve death, but that's what we receive if we don't know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.

[Jesus came for imperfect people] Why? Because He loved us!

2. Nothing can separate me from God's love

It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, or what you've done... God loves you and sent his Son, Jesus... to save you. You say... (Not me... I've been too bad!) Yes, YOU! He came for you!

[Romans 8:38] says, "Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." NOTHING!!! That says... NO THING... in your past is so bad that God can't forgive it... right now.

God sent Jesus to meet us in our mess... He came to rescue us at our greatest point of need... and did it because He loved us.

That's what Christmas is all about. It's about God sending His son to save YOU!

[God loves imperfect people (like me)... Nothing can separate me from God's love]

3. I can know God personally

The Bible says there's only one way for us to get to God...

[1 Timothy 2:5] says, "There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

There's only one way for you to get to God - and Jesus said in [John 14:6], "I am THE way, THE truth and THE life... nobody comes to the Father except through ME."

So, God sent Jesus to earth, over 2,000 years ago... as a GIFT. But in order to be saved... He says... you must RECEIVE this gift of salvation.

It says in [John 1:12], "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

Isn't that great!?! Here's the good news... TODAY, you can believe in God and be saved. TODAY, your life can be forever changed.

Let me show you how...

[Romans 10:9] says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

God sent Jesus at Christmas... to save imperfect people - any imperfect people here?

He loves you that much... and nothing can separate you from that love - anybody believe that?

I want to invite you to trust Jesus today... and I promise you that your life will never be the same.