Title……..lift up thine eyes 2 cor 5:17-21
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Intro
This is a merry Christmas safe zone
Other places…..No mangers, no trees……heads are down with the rush of the season
I want to fight back……….if were gonna be politically correct, then
Ø Politically Correct Santa> > 'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck ...> How to live in a world that's politically correct? > His workers no longer would answer to "Elves," > "Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.>> "Frosty the Person of Snow," > "Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer," and more.
Ø
No wonder that people are down and discouraged
Senator Tim Johnson...................everyone is talking about the balanceof power n the senate.--I wonder if his family really cares about that...........my father, my husband is sick and you all are Talking about the balance of power in the senate........
Transition
Ø My kids will get nothing for Christmas..........humbug> I was struck with the spirit of Christmas> Jeff, is that how I treated you? Busted.
The concept of separation and reconciliation is central to the Christian faith…..
Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians believe this
God is acting in Christ to reconcile the world.
Hence an immaculate conception,
Hence an angelic announcement
Hence a virgin birth
This is pretty important stuff……..
So impt that we too are invited to join in the ministry of reconciliation
Something had to happen first.
God did not just send a savior.
First he saw past our sin and deemed the world worth saving.
Willa Cather's Christmas story "The Burglar's Christmas" portrays a young> man, the proverbial prodigal son, who had moved away from his family back> East and was in Chicago. Without food for many days, without friends, and> with suicidal thoughts, he decides on Christmas Eve to steal some food from> a house. He had never stolen before but thinks that he is owed some food at> least on Christmas Eve. When he breaks into the home, however, he finds that> he has burglarized the house of his parents--who had moved to Chicago. His> mother catches him while stealing, and he confesses all to her and to his father.> > He prepares to leave, but they say, "Stay. We'll make things right."> He looks up at her questioningly, "I wonder if you know how much you pardon?"
God knows how much there is to forgive & he offers forgiveness & a way out
We only have to receive it
> Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.> Proverbs 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.> Forgiveness leads to grace and joy> The baby is not the first gift> The baby is in response to a decision> He chose not to hold our sins against us.> He could have, but he did not> > Had he withheld forgiveness, there would be no joy, peace, no grace>
what does this mean for usthere are people htat we are separated from.
They are sad. Their heads are down……
if we withhold forgiveness, there is no joy, no grace> > What would it be like if God said, peace, joy, but there was no forgiveness.
can you hang the lights for real, attend the parties for real, give a gift for real if there is no forgiveness.
Without forgiveness we are bearing one another, putting up with one another until we can leave
There is a good deal of gift giving and well wishing with out the underlying forgiveness and reconciling.
Story of brain and the hedge apples……gift at Christmas…….the gift is not the candy, the gift is the heart that says, we can no longer be separated….there can no longer be anything between usmy mother gave me this picture many years ago….. Lift up thine eyes> Your sins are forgiven, you are worth saving.
Now who is out there today, waiting to receive grace from you?
This Christmas Hug them. Look them in the eye. Hug them a little longer.
You have been reconciled to God thru Christ and We have a message of reconciliation
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Intro
This is a merry Christmas safe zone
Other places…..No mangers, no trees……heads are down with the rush of the season
I want to fight back……….if were gonna be politically correct, then
Ø Politically Correct Santa> > 'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck ...> How to live in a world that's politically correct? > His workers no longer would answer to "Elves," > "Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.>> "Frosty the Person of Snow," > "Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer," and more.
Ø
No wonder that people are down and discouraged
Senator Tim Johnson...................everyone is talking about the balanceof power n the senate.--I wonder if his family really cares about that...........my father, my husband is sick and you all are Talking about the balance of power in the senate........
Transition
Ø My kids will get nothing for Christmas..........humbug> I was struck with the spirit of Christmas> Jeff, is that how I treated you? Busted.
The concept of separation and reconciliation is central to the Christian faith…..
Methodists, Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians believe this
God is acting in Christ to reconcile the world.
Hence an immaculate conception,
Hence an angelic announcement
Hence a virgin birth
This is pretty important stuff……..
So impt that we too are invited to join in the ministry of reconciliation
Something had to happen first.
God did not just send a savior.
First he saw past our sin and deemed the world worth saving.
Willa Cather's Christmas story "The Burglar's Christmas" portrays a young> man, the proverbial prodigal son, who had moved away from his family back> East and was in Chicago. Without food for many days, without friends, and> with suicidal thoughts, he decides on Christmas Eve to steal some food from> a house. He had never stolen before but thinks that he is owed some food at> least on Christmas Eve. When he breaks into the home, however, he finds that> he has burglarized the house of his parents--who had moved to Chicago. His> mother catches him while stealing, and he confesses all to her and to his father.> > He prepares to leave, but they say, "Stay. We'll make things right."> He looks up at her questioningly, "I wonder if you know how much you pardon?"
God knows how much there is to forgive & he offers forgiveness & a way out
We only have to receive it
> Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.> Proverbs 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.> Forgiveness leads to grace and joy> The baby is not the first gift> The baby is in response to a decision> He chose not to hold our sins against us.> He could have, but he did not> > Had he withheld forgiveness, there would be no joy, peace, no grace>
what does this mean for usthere are people htat we are separated from.
They are sad. Their heads are down……
if we withhold forgiveness, there is no joy, no grace> > What would it be like if God said, peace, joy, but there was no forgiveness.
can you hang the lights for real, attend the parties for real, give a gift for real if there is no forgiveness.
Without forgiveness we are bearing one another, putting up with one another until we can leave
There is a good deal of gift giving and well wishing with out the underlying forgiveness and reconciling.
Story of brain and the hedge apples……gift at Christmas…….the gift is not the candy, the gift is the heart that says, we can no longer be separated….there can no longer be anything between usmy mother gave me this picture many years ago….. Lift up thine eyes> Your sins are forgiven, you are worth saving.
Now who is out there today, waiting to receive grace from you?
This Christmas Hug them. Look them in the eye. Hug them a little longer.
You have been reconciled to God thru Christ and We have a message of reconciliation
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