Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer

What is Christmas to you?

What about the Christmas story speaks to you the most?

Kenosis – That Jesus left heaven, giving up power & knowledge to be a man.

How did people know Jesus was the Christ child?

Micah 5:2 KJV [location] & Isaiah 11:1 KJV [blood line] Notes- Prophesy – They knew it.

Just as we should know it today, to see the signs of his appearing – not return

Did Jesus have to come & suffer?

He is God, couldn’t He just save us?

Kenosis Rom 6:23 NKJV

What would you sacrifice for someone?

++Loved one ++Friend ++Stranger ++Enemy NOTES- *If life – like Moses (take my salvation) or just here?

How do we picture Jesus?

INSERT PICTURE

What does the bible say He looked like?

Isaiah 53:2 - FORM = STATELY / COMELINESS = SPLENDOR

Prior to His birth, how do you picture Joseph & Mary going to & in Bethlehem?

Insert cup/2 faces picture NOTES- 4 masked men with knives, take a man into a room & cut out his heart.

Several people standby outside the door, able to stop it, but they did nothing.

Surgeons

INSERT PICTURE OF TRADITIONAL NATIVITY

INSERT MARY NICE NOTES- Mary was a 14-16yr old girl near the end of her pregnancy.

Told she has to take a 7-9 day journey on foot/donkey through the woods, hills etc just so they can be counted.

Today it would take us about 1hr 45min by car.

[NEWLINE] O by the way when we get there, there’s probably not going to be room at my families house.

Family I haven’t either seen in forever or ever.

Then they arrive & can’t find a place to stay so we are going to stay in a barn (actually a cave) with animals.

And this is where you will have your baby.

INSERT MARY MAD

What do we know about the Magi?

++They were astrologers.

++They were from the east.

++They arrived late.

Notes- Explain they arrived about 2 years later & Mt 2:11 tells us they entered a house not a barn.

Who were the Magi?

++Disciples of Daniel.

++Daniel was in charge of all the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers.

Ie Magic.

++They were from the east = the area that was Babylon.

What could a change of perspective do for us?NOTES- See Christmas not as a gift, but an opportunity [NEWLINE] WHAT TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY COULD CHRISTMAS GIVE US?

After Christmas is the new year - What will you resolve?

++Did your faith resolution in 2018 stick?, ++2019?

++2020?

++What will you do in 2021?

NOTE- GAL2:20 1- If I’m dead & live by faith, why do I care so much about how I’m viewed in the world?

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

NOTE- COL 2:6-8 rooted & built up = basing everything on & going off of Him.

Beware – this is huge it’s a call to pay attention.

Through philosophy & empty deceit = reason without biblical standing & lies.

Tradition of men – a deep look into our most basic traditions will start to make you wonder, I’ll leave it at that.

The basic principles of the world – our desires, the flesh, worry, fear.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

GAL 5.17 NOTE NEXT SLIDE - DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

I could wish you were cold or hot.

16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

Therefore be zealous and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

’ ”

The gift of mistakes, the freedom of forgiveness & the opportunity of faith.

NOTES- mistakes - We learn from them, loose pride gain humility NEWLINE- forgiveness - to be forgiven is to learn to forgive.

And to forgive others, is to forgive ourselves.

NEWLINE- Faith - The opportunity of eternity stands before us all.

Right now we can invest in the world, or heaven; but not both.

PRESENTS ++What gift would you like to give Jesus this Christmas?

++What gift does Jesus want from you this Christmas?

NOTES- When Jesus opens His gift from you, this is what He wants – All your pride, lust, idolatry, pain, insecurity, selfishness, substance abuse ect.

NEWLINE(NL)- And His gift is love, acceptance & eternal life.

What is your true focus for Christmas?

All things related to Christmas are good to celebrate, if we do it the right way! ++Bring the focus to Jesus & His birth, through all the symbols & traditions.

++There may not be a better time to reach the unsaved!

NOTES- This is the time when people are most open to hearing the “Christmas story” which opens us to sharing the gospel.

Even if we don’t agree with how it is celebrated by the world, we can use it to reach them.

NL- We should be most afraid of letting Christmas go by & not talk about Jesus with the world.

That would be sinful.

NL- Read Matt 1:18-2:18 to your family in your house & make that the focus of your Christmas, this truth of what we celebrate & the reason for the season.

Where it says that the word of the prophet may be fulfilled, go there and read it to your family so they know.

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come.

And Christ himself is that reality.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.

I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Let’s look at the truth behind the Christmas of today.

When was Jesus born?

++Sometime between April & Sept 3-4 a.d.

NOTES- Shepherds in the fields.

NL- Long journey for many for the census in the winter would have killed many.

Where in the bible are we told to celebrate Christmas?

++NOWHERE ++Jesus only commands us to do 1 thing in remembrance of Him.

++Communion NOTES- Nowhere does God command us to celebrate Christmas.

Communion – There are no dates or seasons or amount of times we should do this either.

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

What is Hanukkah?

++Festival of Light ++From the 1st century revolt of the Maccabee family against Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the king) to take back the temple.