What I like about Christmas

December 19, 2010

Introduction

 

            This Saturday is Christmas.  Over the years, I’ve preached many sermons about Christmas, and I actually offended one of our visitors by being negative about some aspect of Christmas.

 

            There are many negative things we could say about Christmas, but many of those things have already been said.  The date is almost certainly wrong, the name obviously has a Catholic origin, and there are other things we could mention, but this morning, we are going to do things a bit differently.  I’m going to address the statement:  “What I like about Christmas,” and not just from my perspective, but from the perspective of others as well.

 

Christmas has got to be the best time of year. especially for me because i always get to see my mom for the holidays. and plus my family comes down and we just have a wonderful time with each other. its so wonderful. but this year I will not be able to see my mom because I can't take off work. I will miss her dearly.  

 

Body

 

I.       I think Christmas is a time when we think about family and others.

 

1. It is an illustration of the second commandment.

 

(Luke 10:25-28 NKJV)  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" {26} He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" {27} So he answered and said, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" {28} And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

 

1.      “And who is my neighbor?”

 

(Luke 10:29-37 NKJV)  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" {30} Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. {31} "Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. {32} "Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. {33} "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. {34} "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. {35} "On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' {36} "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" {37} And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

 

2.      Jesus chose a serious case for an illustration, but the Christmas season has a way of bringing out the best in many of us.

 

a.       The blessing of giving.

 

(Acts 20:35 NKJV)  "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 

b.      There is a blessing in being able to give to others.

 

2. God gave us families and relationships.

 

1.      Christmas is a time when we can take time to be with families and to thank God for our families.

2.      God said, “It is not goof for man to be alone.”

 

(Gen 2:18 NKJV)  And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

 

a.       Sometimes we get lost in our own little world.

b.      We need time for our companions and our children.

c.       We need our brothers and sisters and other family members.

 

II.    Christmas is a time when we tend to think more about God and His goodness.

1. Christmas time reminds us of what has come to be called the golden test of the Bible.

 

(John 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

2. It comes back to the first commandment.

 

(Mark 12:28-33 NKJV)  Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" {29} Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. {30} 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. {31} "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." {32} So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. {33} "And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

 

1.      Paul underlined the importance of love.

 

(1 Cor 13:1-7 NKJV)  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. {4} Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; {5} does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; {6} does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

2.      John had his words to underline the importance of love.

 

(1 John 4:8-11 NKJV)  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. {9} In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. {10} In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. {11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Conclusion

 

I.       So what do we like about Christmas?

1. It is a time of giving.

2. It is a time of loving family and friends

3. It is a time of remembering God and His goodness.

4. It is a time of taking time for God and others.

II.      It is a “time out” from the rush of daily living to think about more important things, and to do more important things.

 

 

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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