Sermon Tone Analysis
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Well good morning everyone.
It is really, really, really, great to be back with you all.
It is hard to believe it has been five months since we have been here and I tell you, we have missed all of you very much.
I just want to give you a little overview of where we have been the last five months and what all has been going on.
As all of you know, we brought that precious little girl, baby Grace, home on July 4th.
We spent the night of July 3rd with her in the hospital and we instantly fell in love with her.
But, as you all know, most people have 9 months to prepare for a baby to come into their home.
We had just a matter of days.
In just a few days our lives completely changed.
All of a sudden we have doctor appointments, bottle feedings, diaper changes, and all of the wonderful things that come with having a baby in the house.
A guy I worked with joked saying don’t forget they come with a built in alarm clock.
But what a joy it has been to have this precious girl in our lives.
And I cannot tell you how thankful we are for our church family.
You guys have overwhelmed us with love and care for this little girl.
The gifts and gift cards for her shower were simply amazing and I cannot tell you how much it has helped.
And we cannot thank BJ and Megan enough for all of the hand-me-downs from Ally.
Nick and Taryn have been great.
Melissa actually babysits her during the week, and, from what I understand, Marc, you have become quite attached to that little one!
All three of us had Covid in September.
That was quite the experience.
Thank you to all of you who reached out and helped us get through that time as well including, but definitely not limited to, Charles Turner cutting grass for us and the Dandurands and Carrie delivering food to us.
You all have been so great.
When we started this journey we were excited and nervous as well.
But we knew that we had Brother Paul who would be right there beside us as we entered into the new experiences we were about to have.
Of course that all changed in October.
The last, almost three months, have been trying for our church.
But we have a great group here who has banded together to say a pastor does not make a church.
And that is nothing at all against Brother Paul.
But it is a testament to this church and this congregation that we put our faith in God and God alone.
When we took the big step of leaving the United Methodist Church we had no idea what was going to happen.
But we knew, and we still know, that we are following God and His plan for this church.
I spoke with Brother Paul the other day for about 30 minutes on the phone and, I think he is going to talk to us later today as well.
He is doing very well and I can’t wait to see him back here in a few months.
So that brings us to today, December 19th, 2021.
Almost Christmas.
Almost a new year.
If you would please turn in your Bible’s with me to the Gospel of John chapter 1. John Chapter 1.
We are going to be talking this morning about what Christmas is all about.
Our main focus this morning will be on verse 14 but I want to read verses 1-18 this morning to give us some context for our passage.
Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
John 1:1–18 ESV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’
”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Let us pray.
John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Those have to be, quite possibly, the largest impacting words in all of Scripture.
The true meaning of Christmas, what Christmas is all about.
God came to live with us!
Now why is this such a big deal?
Why should that be the focus of Christmas?
Why am I not reading today out of Luke 2 or Matthew 1 or Matthew 2? Now don’t get me wrong, I love those passages, classic Christmas passages, and we will be looking at them today as well.
But Christmas is so much more than a precious little baby lying in a manger with the virgin Mary and her fiance’ Joseph standing by taking care of Him.
It is not about the lights, though I love Christmas lights.
It is not about the music, and let’s be honest, there is nothing better than Christmas music.
It’s not about the movies, and I definitely watch them all, Rudolph, Frosty, The Miser Brothers, and yes, I sing along, A Christmas Story, my favorite, A Muppet’s Christmas Carol, and all of those classics.
It is not about family, though family is certainly an important part of Christmas.
It is not about presents, but who doesn’t like getting those?
It’s not about parades, or dinners or parties.
It’s not about any of those things, though there is nothing wrong with any of those things.
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
What did it mean for Christ to become flesh?
What did it mean for Him to live on this earth as we do?
What does it mean for Him to not only live here as we do, but to do it perfectly as we cannot?
First, it means that Christ has had the same experiences that you and I have.
The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Christ came to show us how to live.
To show us what it meant to be holy.
Something I fail at every single day.
Something we all fail at every single day.
But He did not come to boast of his righteousness, what does the verse say?
He sympathizes with our weaknesses.
He understands.
He gets it.
He does not approve of it, he does not allow it, but he understands where we are and where we come from.
And he intercedes for us.
Hebrews 5:1 “1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”
He acts in the bests interests of the elect of God.
He takes care of us.
This is what we celebrate at Christmas.
At Christmas we celebrate what Christ came to do for us.
He suffered and died on the cross for us.
He was beaten, mocked, broken.
Isaiah writes in chapter 53: Isa 53:4-12
Isaiah 53:4–12 ESV
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
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