The Sign of Christmas
Notes
Transcript
Main Point: The good news of Christmas is that Christ is the sign we’ve been waiting for.
Turn with me in your Bible to LuKe 2:8-12 where we’ll see the the announcement of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds.
Read Passage
There are 3 themes I want us to see here in these few verses that I hope will show bring us back to Christ as the sign we all need for hope and joy.
Be A Bringer of Good News
The Angels were messengers of Christ
An angel is a MESSENGER of God’s message
Angels were both not of this world in the sense that they were only spiritual beings (which is the thrust here) but also angels are the ones who bring about God’s message to His people.
The angels came to the shepherds with good news in a similar way that God has called you and I as His people to be the bringer of the gospel.
We bring good news as the spoken word of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:1–5 “when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
the power and effectiveness of the gospel does not rest in the power of your words but in the power of the Holy Spirit that makes the word stick.
We also bring good news through our actions that make way for us to speak.
We bring the good news to ALL people!
2. Know the Person of Good News
This is the focus point of the good news, in fact it’s the good news of and about Jesus Christ! We don’t have good news without Jesus Christ ; Jesus the Savior! However, many times when we try to explain the gospel - the good news we are sharing a gospel of self - where we’re explaining how we’re better now than before becuase we started going to church or we feel better since reading the Bible. This is all good things but we can’t forget that the good news is about Jesus and not about self, church, or even the Bibles. We must give them Jesus and not habits and routines.
If we miss Jesus we’ve missed missed everything.
A gospel or good news that doesn’t drive back to Jesus Christ as the only savior is no real or true gospel at all. Any person or faith who adds on to the sufficient work of Jesus is sharing or believing a false gospel that incapable of saving.
We can’t have God and not Christ. Many want to affirm God but not affirm Jesus as Savior.
The message of the gospel is that Jesus was born on earth to bring salvation to all those who would believe so that those who believe would reach heaven. Jesus did the dying, Jesus did the rescuing, Jesus did the sacrificing, and Jesus does the saving.
Christmas is the sign of the saving message of Jesus Christ.
3. See the People of the Good News
Luke tells us that it will be joy for “all the people”. The gospel is both inclusive and exclusive
INCLUSIVE - the gospel message is for all people to hear and receive.
John 3:16 tells us the truth that “whoever” believes will be saved. the gospel is good news that it doesn’t matter who you are and what you have done you can be saved.
It’s why Paul, a Christian killer can be saved. It’s why the rapist can be saved, the racist, the murder, the teacher you hate, all can be saved because the gospel is inclusive for any to join.
As bringers of the gospel you’re mission field is whoever you lay eyes.
EXCLUSIVE - but in the same breath is the truth that whoever believes in Christ will be saved.
It’s conditional in that the retirement is belief and repentance - a turning of your way of life and picking up the cross of Christ and living fully for him - that’s the cost.
Salvation is limited to only those who would place their life in Christ hands and believing that his death, burial, and resurrection where for them.
The good news is for those whoa re looking for a sign of hope. Hope, joy, and peace are only found in belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The message of Christmas is only good news for those who believe.
Do you have peace with God, tonight?
