Midweek Message: How To Keep Christ in Christmas

 

Midweek Messages

December 15, 2021

This Sunday is:

The 4th Sunday of Advent

This week’s sermon will be:

Why?

This week’s readings are:

Micah 5:2-5a

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45

Psalm 80:1-7

Message:

How to Keep Christ in Christmas

-        The Toy that Saved Christmas, VeggieTales

Every Year Complaints

-        Secularized Celebrations – all the way back to the Pilgrims!

-        Competition for Attention

o   Hanukkah

o   Kwanzaa

o   New Year

o   “Holidays” – a hypersensitivity toward giving offense

-        X-mas

o   First letter of Christ in Greek is “X”

o   Christians have used this abbreviation all the way back to the early church.

-        Getting the Cart Before the Horse

o   Charity – “If you want to keep Christ in Christmas ….”

§  A Christmas Carol by Dickens

o   Makes Christmas into another thing you do – Law

o   Remember that Christmas is about what God has done for you – Gospel

§  Luke 2:10 – Good news, great joy, unto you …

§  Isaiah 9:6 – To us …

o   Is charity a good way to observe this good news? YES!

Keep Christ in Christmas – Some suggestions

-        Go to Church.

o   Christmas Eve – 4:30, 7, 9:30 p.m. at Gloria Dei.

o   Christmas Day – 10 a.m.

-        Spend time in the Word and prayer

o   Read Luke 2 and pray about what you read.  

o   Daily Devotions – LHM Child of the Promise

o   My Advent Calendar

-        Consider your Christmas Carols

o   Hippopotamuses, Silver Bells, and Mele Kalikimaka. Fun!

o   Carols and hymns that proclaim Christ.

-        Do something for Jesus’ sake.

o   Charity.

o   Volunteer.

o   Give gifts.

o   Let it flow from joy and faith.

Christmas is about Jesus.

-        Incarnation

-        Fulfilling the Promise

-        Matthew 1:21 – He will save His people from their sins.

One more recommendation to keep Christmas well – Receive the Lord’s Supper

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