Christmas Resolutions - Christmas Eve 2018
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Christmas Reset
Christmas Reset
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.
I love the craziness, the busyness, the chance to talk with some many about Jesus, who is the centre of my universe and my reason for being. And I love the peace of about 11am tomorrow when I’m no longer stressed about hundreds of church services and can relax with family and beer.
Of course the other thing I love about Christmas is that it’s so closely connected to the end of the year.
And at the end of the year we have that great psychological reset button. Many of us will spend time in the week after Christmas pressing reset on our lives and thinking about how we’d like to live or do things different in a new year. In exactly one weeks time we’ll be waiting for some fireworks to go off and feeling like we get a fresh start come midnight!
Well what I want to suggest to you tonight that in fact Christmas is an even better time for us to press reset on our lives than Jan 1 next week.
Titus
Remember those words read to us earlier from Titus in the NT
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
God offers us salvation at Christmas (Titus 2:11)
God offers us salvation at Christmas (Titus 2:11)
When Jesus is born, it’s not just a cool story. It’s the offering of salvation by God to the world.
Remember what the Angels said to the Shepherds?
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
A saviour is born to you.
And the offer of salvation wasn’t just a one time thing for some shepherds in the field. It is still God’s offer to all of us today.
Through faith in Jesus, we find ourselves receiving the gift of salvation. And if we accept it, we find our lives radically changed!
Salvation empowers us to live changed lives (Titus 2:12)
Salvation empowers us to live changed lives (Titus 2:12)
I don’t know about you but I’ve been promising every new years ever to get thinner and learn the guitar.
Neither of those things seem to be happening for me. And that’s partly because there’s actually nothing different about Dec 31 and Jan 1. They are just days. And unless I have a deep change of heart or conviction, my new years resolutions are meaningless.
But Christmas resolutions are different.
When we meet Christ at Christmas we recieve God’s grace and this changes us.
God’s Spirit goes to work in our hearts so that we can so no to ungodliness and worldly passions and instead say yes to self-controlled, upright and Godly lives. Lives that please God.
If you’ve turned up today, unsure whether God is pleased with you, or certain he wouldn’t be then you’re right. He’s not. But in his love and grace, demonstrated in the sending of his son, which we remember at Christmas, he will forgive you and help you change!
God’s salvation means our priorities change (Titus 2:13-14)
God’s salvation means our priorities change (Titus 2:13-14)
When we receive God’s salvation at Christmas, rather than simply remember a cute story about a baby, God helps us to change how we live. But the change goes deeper than that. We have our priorities changes as well.
You might’ve spent your life living for a promotion this year. Or to pay off the mortgage or buy a bigger house. You might be living for the adoration and love of your children, or to get your next fix at the pokies. I dunno.
But once you’ve met Jesus and you know you’ve been saved all of those things ought to fade away into the background.
Instead you live your life in light of and waiting for the ‘appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Jesus Christ.’
That is Jesus return.
For Christians believe in two comings of Jesus. Once as a cute baby in a manger. And then again as the glorious King. And when you know that one day you’ll spend eternity with Jesus then that totally changes and transforms your earthly priorities
China pastor story about being willing to die for Jesus?
God loves you
God loves you
Christmas isn’t about the endless, yearly remembering of a cute baby.
It’s about remembering God’s grace and making sure we’re ready for his return.
At Christmas we remember something that’s actually true every day.
God love you.
He is offering you salvation
You simply need to say Yes to him.
If that’s something you want to do for this first time this Christmas, you can let me know on one of the cards in the pews and I’ll follow up with you.
If you want to learn more come regularly. We’re here every Sunday opening the Bible and learning from it. In fact in January we’ll be doing a series about what new life in christ looks like.