What are We Giving for Christmas?

                                            4th Sunday of Advent!

Before the message:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GefiYHM00Y

                

Intro.

A.   Christmas is very rapidly approaching us!

 

B.   Christmas is a time of giving gifts as we remember

God's greatest gift to us, Christ!

 

Trans.

I want to reflect for a little while this morning on

what we are giving for Christmas.

 

                             Prayer

                       Rom. 5:15-18, & 21

 

I.      First let's look at what we've been given for Christmas.

 

  What it all boils down to in this baby born in Bethlehem is:

 

A.   We've been given grace. (vs. 15)

1.   After humankind (we) chose sin and that sin

              separated us from God, God chose to give us grace!

2.   God gave us a new chance that we didn't deserve.

 

B.   We've been given justification! (vs. 16)

1.   Because of what God has done in Christ, we are

back in fellowship with God.

2.   Just-as-if we hadn't sinned.

 

C.   We've been given the gift of dominion in life through

          Jesus Christ! (vs. 17)

1.   We can be conquerors now!  We are a part of the

kingdom of God now!

2.   Christ can help us through this life now!  He can make a difference in our lives now!

a.   God/Christ doesn't promise us a bed of roses

in this life.

b.   But Christ promises to be here with us

through the work of the Holy Spirit.  We

talked about that a couple weeks ago in the message!

 

D.   We've been given the gift of eternal life through Jesus  Christ our Lord! (vs. 18&21)

1.   Christ will not only help us through this life.

We will also receive eternal life!

2.   In Heaven where we will have fellowship with God 

forever and where there will be no hurt, sickness,

death, or pain.

3.   Notice, it is through Jesus Christ our Lord!  The Christ of Christmas!

4.   Again, we celebrate the eternal life with the

evergreen tree on Christmas!

 

II.  We've been given so much for Christmas, but what are we

giving to God in return?

A.   Are we giving God a life that says, "I don't need you;

I can make it by myself?"

1.   Perhaps, we have gone through life feeling we're

              O.K.

2.   We haven't realized how much we fail and how much

we really need God's justification through Christ.

3.   We have never really accepted Christ.

 

B.   Are we giving Christ a life of inconsistency?

1.   Today we are in church and concerned about God.

2.   What about next week?  Will we be just as

concerned then?  What about next Sunday?

3.   Our world and communities have seen two much

              inconsistency among professing Christians! It is

              killing us; Christ called it lukewarmness.

          4.   We don’t need to just think of God on Christmas,

Easter, or for that matter only on Sunday!  We

need to be constantly on for Jesus!

 

C.   Are we giving Christ a life of strife?

1.   A life that can't get along with other people?

2.   A life that harbors grudges and won't turn them

over to God?

3.   Our world has also seen too much of this: too much of professing Christians that can't get along.  It  is a real shame that this is the only picture of Christianity that some people see!

 

D.   Are we giving Christ a life of hypocrisy?

1.   Do people that see us on Sunday see a different

              person than those who see us through the week?

2.   That is hypocrisy.

 

E.   Or are we giving Christ a life of true dedication?

1.   A life that has realized that I am a sinner and I need (and accept) the forgiveness found through Jesus the Christ.

2.   A life that wants Christ every day.  The desire

for Christ in our lives remains consistent, and it

is evident by our actions.

3.   We, like Christ, love people!  We don't want to

              fight and bicker with people, and if they hurt us,  we turn it over to God because we are still

              concerned about their soul!

a.   Our love brings us to care for people.

b.   Our love brings us to hurt when they hurt!

We can actually shed real tears with them!

c.   And we are happy when they are happy as well.

4.   A life in Love with Christ, that doesn't want to

hurt him any day or anytime!  It hurts us just as  much to sin on Monday at work, school, or wherever we are as it does on Sunday at church!

5.   A life that wants to share the wonderful Love of God!

 

Conclusion:    Christmas is a time of giving!

 

A.   A plaque we have on the wall reads like this:

"Your life is a Gift from God.  What you make of it

is your Gift to God."

 

B.   This is so true!  It should be scripture!

 

C.   What gift are we giving God this Christmas!

 

D.   As we encounter Christ at the table, let's give God our

greatest gift by committing our lives more deeply

to God.  Then we will really be ready to celebrate

Christmas!

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Blessing:

 

May the God of hope fill you with

all joy in believing,

 

so that you may abound in hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.