indulge at Christmas

Advent week 4 - Love

Videos used

What a gift https://www.ignitermedia.com/products/53311-oh-what-a-gift

A child is born - https://www.ignitermedia.com/products/7039-a-child-is-born

Missing Jesus - https://skitguys.com/videos/missing-jesus

Jesus and Santa - https://www.ignitermedia.com/products/7122-jesus-and-santa

Missing Jesus - https://skitguys.com/videos/missing-jesus

The Christmas box - https://www.sermonspice.com/product/79447/the-christmas-box

The Christmas box - https://www.sermonspice.com/product/79447/the-christmas-box

Welcome

Video – Oh what a Gift.

Worship 1

O Come All Ye Faithful - F

O Praise The Name (Chorus) - A

Joy to the World - C - Band

Reading 1 –

Reading 2 -

Video a Child Is born.

Worship2

Silent Night – A

Christ the saviour is born - G

O come O Come - Em

Message

Video SANTA - JESUS

Message cont

Video Missing Jesus

Message cont

Video - Christmas Gifts.

Message cont

Prayer - END

Worship 3

Hark the Herald Angels -F -

Angels We Have Heard on High - E-

Apollo 8 Message and Blessing

Fun Song Merry Christmas / jingle bells - whatever

Video 1 -

Jesus and Santa video.

What is the meaning of Christmas?

Premise - we mix up the trappings of christmas with Christmas.

Video 2- Christmas Box.

Premise -What is the main part of Chirstmas

Video 2 - You can’t replace Jesus.

There is a source of disagreement in the Pepper house hold. It revolves around the television. I love watching these programmes about how food is grown or things are made. Programs like Inside the Factory or Food Unwrapped. Jenny doesn’t. But you know being the head of the house hold I get to watch them - Maybe not. Jenny is very kind and accommodating and allows me to watch them, just as long as there is silence in the house when Casualty is on.

I was watching one of these programmes this last week and they were looking at the Christmas dinner. What it’s history is, how it has changed over the years and how to cook it. - I’ve already cooked my roast potatoes.

One of the things that they said on the programme was how many calories are in a Christmas Dinner.

Does anyone know how many calories we need on average each day? - 2000 - 2500 roughly.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess of how many calories can be in a Christmas Dinner?

up to 6000 calories.

They went on to say why.

Part of it was the portion size. - we all like a big plate of food.

Some of it was the richness of the food. We like the sweet things at Christmas.

A lot of it was that at Christmas we have an attitude of ‘As well as and not instead of’ -

We have sausages in bacon as well as the meat.

We have sausage meat stuffing as well as the pigs in blankets, as well as the meat.

We have stuffing balls as well as the sausage meat stuffing as well as the pigs in blankets, as well as the meat. Not to mention the potatoes, and roast potatoes and carrots and cabbage and sprouts.

We have mince pies as well as the Christmas pudding

We have chocolates as well as the mince pies as well as the Christmas Pudding.

We tend to have things as well as rather than instead.

If I was a dietician I may tell you that this is not a good Idea. Fortunately, I am not a dietician. I’m a pastor and I want to suggest that at Christmas. This is good.

The ideas of having an ‘as well as’ attitude, of bigger portions, of richer helpings and is a healthy thing - may be not be good for your waistline but for your soul.

of bigger portions, richer heplings and is a healthy thing - may be not for your waistline but for your soul.

But let’s watch this first.

VIDEO Jesus and Santa video.

Desire more

It’s a funny video but draws the distinction between the what I want and what I need. Santa bringing what we ask for but Jesus providing what we need - Access to Him.

In this land where relatively even those of us on modest incomes have more wealth that many in the world can imagine. I said a healthy attitude was to have bigger portions, but there is a but. We need to desire more of what we need and maybe not so much of what we want.

We have to make desiring more does not lead us to forget the other two attitudes of having richer food and keeping that ‘as well’ as attitude.

What do I mean well, if we desire more and more stuff. we can often find that that desire overtakes everything. Instead of Christmas being Santa and Jesus it becomes just Santa. Instead of giving being the joy of the season, receiving becomes the aim. And it is not just about Christmas, it can be work, or internet time or anything - We are called to have life and have it in full, but that life is with God and not with him supplanted by stuff.

Most of the stuff we surround ourselves with doesn’t seem to last.

Matthew 6:19–21 NIV

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

matthew 6:19-21

Desire better

At home we have a nativity set, we have had it for years. it is plastic, it is like something you may think of as a toy. But unlike the set we are about to see, we have all the pieces...

Nothin

VIDEO - Missing Jesus

losing god

I think in the Christmas celebration with all of the busyness and so-called celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ we can very easily lose God in the midst of it

She brings her son downstairs. The little boy is looking at this minister and he is a little terrified. The minister looks at the little boy and he squints his eyes and says, "Son where is God" trying to impress on the boy that God is in the church. It is a holy place. The little boy didn't know what to say. The minister again says, "Where is God"? The little boy still didn't have an answer. Finally the minister raises his voice. "Where is God"? Like only a minister can. The little guy runs upstairs terrified and says to his mom, "Mommy they lost God at that church and they are blaming me for taking him".

We need to make sure we don’t replace Jesus with things that do not last. We need to have Jesus with us. We need to him as well as work, as well as family, as well as toys, turkey and tinsel.

Yes we can lose God in the church. We can lose God in the culture. In recent years there has been the attempt by some to do away with the phrase merry Christmas and replace it with happy holidays or something else. They have done their best to remove nativity scenes and the mention of Christ. But fortunately there has been pushback on that. A recent survey revealed that 68% of Americans prefer merry Christmas to happy holidays. If I am in a store and they say happy holidays I say merry Christmas. I think we should step it up. Merry birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ day.

Matthew 6:33 NIV

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

The richness that knowing God can bring to our lives is amazing. I didn’t mention it last Sunday because I wasn’t speaking. But, last Sunday - December the 15th was a special day for me. Last Sunday marked thirty years since I made the decision to follow Jesus.

What a ride those thirty years have been.

There has been sorrow, joy, anger, love, excitement everything that life has to throw at me. There have been times that God has felt close and others where I have wondered where He was. But always, but always he was there. I have no idea what my life would be like if I had not found Him, looking at my peers from where I grew up, it would possibly not be great. What I do believe is that my life has been shaped by God and that the people around me, my family, this church, the places I have been, things I have done are by God’s grace and reflect the richness of life He desires for me.

We are called to desire rich food. When we desire more of God’s presence God responds. The stuff becomes less important, the receiving becomes less of a focus than the giving. When we focus more on God we seem to have more time and energy to do the world stuff, well. nor settling for second best.

We are called to desire rich food. When we desire more of God’s presence God responds. The stuff becomes less important, the receiving becomes less of a focus than the giving. When we focus more on God we seem to have more time and energy to do the world stuff, well; not settling for second best.

We focus on the bigger picture the longer game, the things that matter and last.

Video : Christmas box.

This Christmas.

If you don’t know Jesus - now is the time.

If you do - then desire bigger portions, look for the richest of his presence - aim for the things that last; and develop that as well as attitude to make sure God does not get replaced by a gummy bear, or a creepy dolls head.

Nothing can replace what Jesus came to do, what he achieved for me and you as he died on that cross and rose again.

It starts at Christmas - it continues today.

Isaiah

Isaiah 9:6–7 NIV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The As well as attitude.

It’s great to have all the trappings of christmas. but in the end these need to be as well as Christ. As well as servent hood, as well as love, as well as - not instead of.

This christmas have a great time, but desire more of the richness that is knowing Jesus.

Prayer

Prayer: Lord Jesus,

Blessing

Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day,

We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!'

Amen.

Blessing

Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.

-- Frank Borman, Apollo 8 space mission, 1968

VIDEO - Missing Jesus

I think in the Christmas celebration with all of the busyness and so-called celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ we can very easily lose God in the midst of it. I heard the story of a little boy who went down to a church near his home. They had a lot of candles lit. He didn't understand what it meant. He thought it must be a birthday celebration for Jesus like candles on a birthday cake. He started blowing the candles out and singing "Happy birthday" to Jesus. It is kind of cute really. The minister didn't think it was cute at all. He thought it was irreverent. He followed the little boy home. He knocked on the boy's front door. The mother answered. "Yes reverend can I help you"? "Yes your son was just down at the church and he was blowing out the candles and singing 'happy birthday"' to Jesus. I don't think he has enough reverence for God. I want to talk to him". "OK reverend".

She brings her son downstairs. The little boy is looking at this minister and he is a little terrified. The minister looks at the little boy and he squints his eyes and says, "Son where is God" trying to impress on the boy that God is in the church. It is a holy place. The little boy didn't know what to say. The minister again says, "Where is God"? The little boy still didn't have an answer. Finally the minister raises his voice. "Where is God"? Like only a minister can. The little guy runs upstairs terrified and says to his mom, "Mommy they lost God at that church and they are blaming me for taking him".

Yes we can lose God in the church. We can lose God in the culture. In recent years there has been the attempt by some to do away with the phrase merry Christmas and replace it with happy holidays or something else. They have done their best to remove nativity scenes and the mention of Christ. But fortunately there has been pushback on that. A recent survey revealed that 68% of Americans prefer merry Christmas to happy holidays. If I am in a store and they say happy holidays I say merry Christmas. I think we should step it up. Merry birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ day.

Video three. - What a Gift