Sermon 12-7-14 The gifts of
Christmas-The gift of love
John 3:16-17 NIV
16 For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him.
Our
series- the gifts of Christmas - Today – Love
Love
joy peace – sound so droll and boring
Advent
candles – love, joy, peace, hope
Shepherds Wise-men angels – Santa
Love
joy peace – sound so droll and boring
Really is anything more amazing than
love
Do
you remember the first time that someone said it to you…….i love u
We are on a life journey seeking it
Go
dog go……..do you like my hat?
It
is desperately needed
Love
means I want you
Un
love means I reject you
Some
churches preach a message of eternal rejection - you are out
You
are bad
Grew
up not feeling loved - I wasn’t wanted
Boys
town. – when someone knows that you love them… they chage
The
frog and prince- every one of us needs to know that we are loved
Songs
about love
There
are a bunch
Love
came down at Christmas
Light
of the world, shine on me, love is the answer
Country
songs……..
There
is a little pressure to find love
Our
biological clocks tick
In
seminary they said that they dogs and kids better love you when you go to visit
the folks
Our first attempt to love others often
begins at Christmas.
Shopping
when I was 19 at the campus bookstore
First
time we bought others gifts. How that made us feel.
We
hear talk of C and E Christians. Don't knock them.
it
is a place to start. Love is contagious, it is transformative.
It
causes an increasing desire to be apart of what God is doing.
While
we were yet sinners...we were loved.
Dave
Hackett’s story of being kicked out of school, and his father’s words.
The most powerful thing in the world is love.
The most powerful thing in the world is love.
It
has healed many a brokenness.
It
is the soul’s purpose in this world, to love.
At
Christmas we find that we are loved by god.
Many
of our 1st attempts to live a life of love sprang out of Christmas
And Love is all around us
Melody
porters wedding - friends – welcome of a friend
Jessica
Muller’s reception w my kids
Police called to Longview lake
My kids love me
Julie’s
wedding
Love
is intuitive
You
can tell if someone loves you
If
they are capable of it or not
We
like hanging around with people that love us
Christmas is about God’s love
Jn
3:16
An
obscure Christmas passage
But
Christmas is about love, first and foremost
Love.
God so loved the world – he sent his son
He
restored the relationship
He
broke the enmity.
What
is enmity?
How
we experience it and live with it
How
delightful it is when it is broken and relationships are restored
Christmas is about Incarnation – God with us
What
if we stop talking about Christianity as a “let’s leave”
And
instead think in terms of – let’s go here and now, in god’s world
Incarnation
–
Jesus
didn’t come to take us out – he came to be with us and to live with us
We
should do the same – investing in one another
Love.
You are loved. Our lives ideally are about loving others.
God’s love is amazing
Dave
mentioned last week– tie a yellow ribbon- ribbons everywhere
Love
is indiscriminate
The shade of a tree
The light of a lamp
The smell of a rose
How
delightful it is to know that we are accepted. Welcomed - Wanted
The gift of a friend, The love of a pet - the
gift of love
Conclusion
Christmas
–
We
are so easily beguiled by society,
by
marketing; it seems shallow because it is
But
the real message of Christmas is still amazing
Remember
when someone said, I love you?
It
is possibly the most powerful moment of our lives
What
do we say to our loved ones when they are dying?
I
love you
Imagine
that the last words you hear on this earth are, I love you.
No
longer being blasted by junk mail, TV ads or email begging us to go spend money
The
last words We hear are the message clear and clean- I love you
I
love you.
God
so loved the world.
Merry
Christmas. It is yours for the embracing. God so loved the world.
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