Sermon 12-1-13 Making Christmas
great Isaiah 9:6-7
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. kkkkk
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. kkkkk
Today is the first Sunday of
advent
We
are starting a new series titled – how to have a great Christmas
Today = Santa vs. Jesus [vs. may be too
strong. I don’t want to crush the visions of a 6 year old that still
believes]
There is a short 1 minute video of
Santa and Jesus. Pc vs Mac VIDEO
Its
Jesus birthday and we act like it’s about
Santa
Picture
Mano
e mano. There can be only one
Who
is gonna win?
Santa
represents the commercial end of Christmas. What our culture has done.
[give a few examples]
Advent
calendars
PICTURES
Snow men
Scooby do
Lights
trees
A
Focus on gifts and what I will get. Disappointment, jealously, broken toys.
Diminishing
of Christ
We
make Jesus into a Santa figure
He is the coke machine god
We forget the real story
Comsumerist Christmas ends. I
ts over- this is one of the most
difficult parts
Christmas
is never supposed to be over
It’s
a birth. A beginning.
Imagine
your child is born. You wait. You celebrate. Then you walk
away and leave the baby? Oh no………
A
birth is the beginning of something
We
experience many things in life as static events
My 16 and 21st birthdays were not static. Monumental
But now my birthdays are static
Should Jesus birthday, Christmas be a
static thing?
Some
things in life we come to year after year and nothing changes
Imagine
that there is something new
Something
to learn
There
is a new angle-at least for us…..
The Jesus portrayed in scripture is
barely noticeable among the advertisements of our day
Unto
us a child is born…………
What
makes a great Christmas? A tree? A stocking? A child
Something
that God did
Something
amazing
He
will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
The comfort of a counselor. The strength of the mighty
The dependability of a father, the peace of the prince of peace
Too
many people today are satisfied with the commercial Christmas stuff
The
commercial Christmas of our culture is flat hollow shallow
Remember
Flat Stanley.
PICTURE
Where
is real Stanley?
What of the soulfulness of Christmas?
The culture has robbed us of the
soulness of Christmas
The soulness of Christmas. What its
really about. God with us.
We with one another.
Steve jobs stuff –excitement is on
the way
Come
with me and let’s change the world Video?
From
bob Fillmore
Steve
Jobs is addressing the employees of Apple…
“I’m really excited to be here…I want to show
you something that’s amazing…no else in the world has seen it. It’s
going to revolutionize the heart.
It’s a tool for the heart…and if you can
touch someone’s heart…the possibilities are limitless. It’s
insanely cool. It’s a music device…1,000 songs in your pocket…I introduce you
to the i-pod. It’s what’s coming…” Applause…
In
Christmas we recognize that something is happening
An
announcement is made
We
are really excited to be here
Something
is happening that’s amazing
No
one else in the world has seen it
It
is a revolutionary thing
It’s
a gool for the heart
Its
going to touch hearts in a way that is limitless
Insanely
cool
I
introduce to you the savior
He
is whats coming
The soulfulness of Christmas………Not a
kingdom of flash
A
thing of the heart
One
person at a time
Good
theology works in every country
Christmas
in Nicaragua isn’t about getting stuff
It’s
a thing of the soul
He
came to atone for our sins
It’s
a thing of the soul
Not
a punch the ticket thing of the soul, but a thing for soulful living
God knows you
You
are the raw materials of the kingdom
He
wants to reach into your soul and touch you.
As
I think of the things of the soul, I am reminded of Ira byock’s book
The
four things that matter most
Doctor
that works in palliative care
4 most important things you can say to
another human
God
says them to us, so we can say them to each other
·
Im
sorry
·
I
forgive you
·
I
love you
·
Thank
you
You are the raw materials of the
kingdom
God’s
love is the fire
It
is a combustible combination
This is the work of Christ
Forgiving
us
Healing
us
Restoring
us
This
is the work of Christmas
For
god to do in us
For
us to offer to others
Come
with me and lets change the world
Or
we settle for the plastic Christmas of our culture
From
bob fillmore
Jobs was looking for the best marketing
person…and
set is goal to recruit the VP of Marketing for Pepsi. “You’ll never get
him…why would he ever leave Pepsi?”
Jobs
approached the marketing man and asked the question, “Do you want o sell
sugar water the rest of your life…or come with me and change the world?”
Do
you want to settle for the commercial Christmas of our culture
Or
find that thing that is amazingly real?
Christmas
doesn’t have to be the same.
Jesus
says to us…….come with me and let’s change the world.
Immanuel.
God with us.
Lets
pray
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