7 Great Christmas Truths

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DayCare Update

Children: 12

Income:

October: $1454 November: $2674 December: $4000

Salaries: $8100

Resolution to refinance passed

Refinance Goals

Less than 5% APR At least 5 year locked rate Access the $317,981

Lower payments by $3500

Miracle Offering

Needed To Get To Black

Need $25k on top of the normal $40k to refinance

Need $25k on top of the normal $40k to refinance

December Tithes: $40,000

Daycare projections:

Miracle Offering: $25,000

Seven Great Christmas Truths

Seven Great Christmas Truths

Seven Great Christmas Truths

Great does not always mean good. When we say Great Depression or the Great War- we do not mean these things were good. We mean that they were major, significant. It is in this sense that I use the word great this morning. I most certainly do not mean that the 7 truths I am about to share are good truths. I mean only that they are significant- though some a very good indeed.

Text:

The Magi see a star in the sky indicating the Messiah has been born.

They come to worship the King. They must have recognized that this was more than just a normal king- you don’t usually worship a king, especially if you are from a different nation.

They were directed to Bethlehem.

Herod is jealous, fearing a true king of the Jews might displace him. Herod was only half-Jew. His rule was considered illegitimate by most Jews.

The wise men found Jesus, worshipped Him and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh. Those gifts were both timely and prophetic.

Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh.

Frankincense is a white resin or gum obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.

Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinity—God in flesh.

Frankincense is a white resin or gum obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.

Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.

Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (). refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (). refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was given to our Savior when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (). refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

1. The Great Enemy

There is a spiritual adversary to all that is good in this world who wants to kill, steal and destroy.

John 10:10 NIV84

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

If you are in a battle and refuse to acknowledge it, you will quickly become a casualty of war. In the same way- if we do not realize that satan is real, that he hates us and that he seeks to destroy us- we will be prone to fall victim to his attacks.

2. The Great God

There is a wonderful God who loves people and wants to bless them.

Romans 3:19–20 NIV84

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

God is so good that when we see Him and see the kindness and patience He has shown, every mouth will be silenced. No one will have anything to say. No one will have any accusation when hearts and motives are laid bare, because they will see in the end that God is good and has done good- far above and beyond what any of us deserved.

3. The Great Tragedy

When God begins to move to help his people, the enemy attacks the most vulnerable.

Pharaoh killed the babies.

Herod killed the children.

Hitler killed the Jews.

Modern day abortion: never in the history of the world have so many children been killed. Satan is playing his last great hand before the return of Christ. Annually 50 million babies are aborted. That is 500 million babies in 10 years.

The trend in our nation of school shootings in my opinion is part of satan’s plan to destroy and intimidate this generation because he senses that God is about to do something amazing.

4. The Great Deception

Satan wants people to blame God for the atrocities he commits.

He is the thief. He is the one who seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Yet he tries to convince humanity that when he succeeds in deceiving people into doing his dirty work of killing, stealing and destroying, that somehow it is actually God’s fault.

Illustration: Hindus coming to hear the gospel. Went back because of demonic attacks.

5. The Great Need

The morning of the shooting, James Barrett had come to join me for prayer. Together we drove first to the High School and then to the Police Station where they instructed the parents to wait.

I walked the crowd and prayed for people. At one point one of the office workers went through the crowd with a box of Kleenex. I asked her if I could help and she eagerly handed me three boxes of Kleenexes- which I accepted as my assignment from the Lord. For the next hour I walked the crowd passing out Kleenex and praying quietly.

As I walked, one thing became painfully obvious. People want to hear hope.

People want to hear hope

Everyone was on their cell phone. Why? They wanted someone to tell them that their child was ok, that the situation was ok.

They wanted someone to speak hope, comfort, security. And while I too would have certainly wanted the assurance that my child was ok, there seemed to be a deeper hunger for hope.

The problem is this- our cell phones only connect us to other people. But people cannot provide the hope and assurance we seek. Only God can provide that.

6. The Great Hope

God loves us so much He died to take our sin- the contamination that causes us to act like satan.

There are multiple reactions to sin:

Reject it. We condemn ourselves. Shame drowns us.

Ignore it. It grows like a silent cancer, killing us all and that is dear to us.

Embrace it. Shamelessly engage and promote sin. It drowns and destroys us quickly.

Resist it. This is like a mouse chained to an elephant, trying to drag the elephant where he wants to go.

Indians always wondered why the British would blow their noses into little pieces of cloth and then save it in their pockets.

Why would anyone want to hold on to sin?

Surrender it. Give our sin to God. Ask Him to forgive us, change us and help us.

If we cry out to God- He promised to forgive our sin, purify our hearts and save us.

Give our sin to God. Asking Him to forgive us, change us and help us. The Great Choice: the enemy has so infected our hearts with fear, and pride and selfishness that we cannot help ourselves. It is like he has hi-jacked our cel phones and he contaminates every message we get. God offers to give a new heart filled His peace, love and hope to all who call to Him and ask.

7. The Great Choice

The enemy has so infected our hearts with fear, and pride and selfishness that we cannot help ourselves.

It is like he has hi-jacked our cel phones and he contaminates every message we get.

God offers to give a new heart filled with His peace, love and hope to all who call to Him and ask.

Joshua 24:14–15 NIV84

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The God you serve is the God your children will likely serve.

Final Thoughts

The battle is already won. The sides are not equal.

The enemy is already defeated.

Your salvation is already secured.

Your patient endurance will be rewarded.