Christmas is a time for…

Here are some more… You might be a cajun if…

You might be a cajun if

You pass up an opportunity to meet the president to go to a crawfish festival in Breaux Bridge

Your children’s favorite bed time story begins with, “first you make a roux…”

None of your favorite vacation spots are north of Abbyville…

You sit down to eat boiled crawfish and someone says, "Don't eat the dead ones" and you know what they mean.

You gave up Tabasco for lent

In this series we discovered how to Wrestle Gators (deal with difficult people), Celebrate Jesus (party the right way), Catch Fish (reach others with the message & ministry of Jesus), and Eat Good (daily dine on the presence of the Lord) this Christmas.

Besides all that, Christmas is a time to connect with family and friends, participating in great meals, giving and receiving gifts.

Most of all, Christmas is a time for remembering that Jesus, the Son of God, and our Savior, came into our world. Let’s look at three words to remember during this Chrsitmas season.

Christmas is a time for Celebration.

Luke 2:1–14 LBP

1 About this time Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the nation. 2 (This census was taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 Everyone was required to return to his ancestral home for this registration. 4 And because Joseph was a member of the royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, King David’s ancient home—journeying there from the Galilean village of Nazareth. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; 7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. 8 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem! 12 How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang, “and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.”

The Angels and Shepherds celebrated the coming of Jesus to our world that first Christmas, and we should celebrate the coming of Jesus to our world every Christmas.

How many of you like celebrating your birthday? or someone else's birthday? Well, Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.

Ironically, at most Christmas parties, the person whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He’s never mentioned. Although the birth of Jesus is what Christmas is all about… is what winter holidays are all about, He is often overlooked or merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch and Santa Claus.

A pastor did a survey of Christmas shoppers one year asking them, What are you celebrating this Christmas? Listen to some of the answers.

I’m celebrating that I made it through another year;

I’m celebrating being home with my family;

I’m celebrating getting a Christmas bonus;

I’m celebrating that my son is home from Iraq;

I’m celebrating that I finished all of my shopping

Now those might be good reasons to celebrate, but what we should celebrate this Christmas is that Jesus, God’s son, came into our world. Here is why why we need to celebrate the birth of Jesus by singing songs to him, praying to him, reading his birth story on Christmas morning…

The coming of Jesus into our world indicates the great love that God has for every single one of us.

John 3:16–17 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. God loves us so much that He sent His own Son into our world. And Jesus was willing to be rejected by men, beaten by men, crucified by men, and die at the hands of men, so that WE could be made right with God and become part of His family.

Some people are very lovable like our spouses… right guys? Some people are more difficult to love. (pic) The good news for us is that God loves us all so very much that He was willing to send his own son.

We have a lot to celebrate this Christmas, but most of all we want to celebrate the fact that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to be our Savior and Lord.

Christmas is a time for Salvation.

Matthew 1:18–23 NLT

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”

Notice the 2 names for the SOG in this passage. Jesus and Immanuel. Names are important and were really important in the 1st Century. Even in the 21st Century we need to carefully select names for our children and grand children.

Pregnant woman in Va – involved in a car accident – fell into a coma – When awoke from coma, realized no longer carrying a child – “What happened?” – Doctor, “You’ve had twins. You are the mother of a handsome baby boy & a beautiful baby girl.

Also, you should know that while you were in a coma, your brother named the children for you.” “Oh no, not my brother. He’s not really all together.” “Well, your brother named your daughter Denise.” “That’s not so bad. What’s the boy’s name?” “De-nephew…

Mary and Joseph didn’t have to think about what they were going to name their son or whether some relative might be hurt or angry. His name was chosen by His heavenly Father and was communicated to them by an Angel. Both names have purpose and meaning and remind us of why our Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ into our world.

The name Jesus means Jehovah is our Salvation.

It’s a reminder to us first and foremost that the SOG came to our world to bring us salvation.

Now,

What is Salvation?

What is Salvation? Salvation is a result of entering into a personal relationship with the Lord.

A lot of people believe in God and some even Jesus, but they don’t have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.

Salvation occurs as a result of experiencing God’s pardon in our life.

God has pardoned each of us. Look what was prophesied about Jesus…

Matthew 1:21 NLT

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

We are all sinners by nature and by choice. (Rom 3:10; 23)

Romans 3:10 NLT

10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.

Romans 3:23 NLT

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Sin test - How many have ever told a lie? stolen something? had a mean thought? liars, thieves and murderers…

Our sin separates us from God and causes us to miss out on His plans and purposes for our life. (Rom 6:23)

Romans 6:23 NLT

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we repent of our sins and receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He forgives every sin. (Eph 1:7)

Ephesians 1:7 NLT

7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Colossians 2:13–14 NLT

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Someone found a tombstone in a rural NY cemetery with no name, no dates… just one word. Forgiven

I don’t know about you, but I want that on my tombstone. I want the world to know I was forgiven and as a result, I had salvation.

Salvation occurs as a result of experiencing God’s presence in our life.

Immanuel means God is with us.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He comes into our lives and begins to transform our life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Share a short personal testimony.

Christmas is a time for Liberation.

Luke 4:18 NKJV

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Many people today struggle with broken hearts, lives, relationships, dreams etc. If that’s you I have good news for you today. Because Jesus has come into our world that very first Christmas, our hearts can be put back together … our broken relationships can be put back together… and our broken dreams can be restored.

During this coming year, through our preaching series’ and our Freedom Group, our Grief group, and … we will learn how to experience the freedom and power of the Lord in our lives.

I want to encourage you to commit to being here in January as we begin the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting … giving God the first part of our year.

Jesus came not only to forgive our sins and make us right with God, but to heal, restore and make our lives and relationships better …

What are the three words? Celebration, Salvation, Liberation. You can begin to experience these today.

On Dec 17, 1903, the Wright bro’s were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Telegraphed the mess to their sister Katherine – “We have actually flown 120 ft. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine took their message to editor of her local newspaper. He glanced it and said, ‘How nice, the boys will be home for Christmas.”

That editor totally missed the BIG news… man had flown. The same thing happens at Christmas. Don’t get so involved in the programs, plans, presents, and people of Christmas that you forget what it’s really about… That Jesus Christ, the SOG, came into our world and our lives.

Ask yourself,

What is the Lord speaking to me through this message, and what do I need to do about it?

Some of you need to share what God is doing in your lives.

Others… don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord. You can begin that relationship with him today through a simple prayer that says

You are turning away from your way of living to God’s - repentance.

Inviting Jesus Christ to come into your life and trusting Him to forgive you of your sins.

Allowing God to direct your life.

“Dear God, I know my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. In Jesus name, Amen