True reason of Christmas

I want you to turn with me this morning to the book of Luke, the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Chapter 2.

And the title of the message is Everyone Have a Worship Guide.

If you do not, raise your hands.

We've got plenty back there.

Anyone needs a worship guide?

And I know many of you and have been gotten your little books and doing little hole punches to put them in.

Hey, that's what I do, by the way.

That's what your pastor does.

That's what I do.

And so I love my little notebook.

True reasons for Christmas.

Let's face it.

You and I know.

Christmas season is a time that is loved by many, but at the same time, not loved by many.

I've had a good time playing with the, should I say, character of Scrooge.

Now I haven't played Scrooge.

I don't like Scrooge.

I actually like the cartoon Scrooge at the end.

And uh what I mean by that, he begins to like Christmas.

But at the beginning, and I won't.

In fact, somebody in my congregation told me that they had a Scrooge.

What did I say?

Scrooge, I'm sorry.

Grinch, Grinch, Grinch.

That's why you looked at me so funny, Pam.

The Grinch.

The Grinch, what?

Stole?

Tried to steal Christmas.

He didn't.

But uh I had someone say they had a Grinch costume.

And I said, Well, you ought to wear it tomorrow.

And so I could allow you to stand up and we could see the real Grinch and then ask the Grinch to come to the altar, and everyone that's a Grinch come to the altar and let's, you know, take care of that.

But let's face it, there's a lot of people that do not like Christmas.

It can be a glad time, it can be a sad time.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more people attempt or commit suicide than any other time of the year.

So during the time it ought to be the most joyful time can be the most sad time.

Why is that?

Why is that?

A time when we ought to be celebrating the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ our King.

Why is it that so many people can be sad?

Because Christmas season is a time filled with many, many mixed messages, and especially with pagan and worldly rituals.

Would you not agree?

I mean, uh, and and I really want you to understand, I love Christmas more than anybody.

I really do, or as much as anybody.

I mean, I love the festivities that are celebrated with Christmas.

I love the parties.

I love the eating.

The sweet, oh, God forbid what I've eaten the last two days.

I mean, my Susan always asks me, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday?

And when I had not had, my wife makes the best caramel, not caramel, caramel cake of anyone.

And I've had them all.

So we had a caramel cake Friday for our pickleball group.

And then they ate so much that she fixed another one for all the parties, two parties we had yesterday.

And I want you to know two days, two cakes, and it's all gone.

Jason back there said, You didn't save me a piece?

Hey, they didn't save me a piece.

And how's the birthday boy?

I enjoy that.

I enjoy the fun, the festivities, the eating, the parties.

Going to look at Christmas lights.

Anybody like to look at Christmas lights?

Oh, I love that.

I really do.

And then I love time, the time that we spend with the family, and a lot of people are doing that today.

I don't know how many text me.

I can't be there.

We're da-da-da-da-da.

And I understand all that, and that's the time we do.

And Susan and I, next Sunday after our Christmas, we'll be spending a few days in Tennessee with our family, with our two grandkids and my oldest daughter.

And missing my oldest, my youngest daughter with our four grandkids in California, my son in San Diego.

So, so it's a time for all these things.

And I enjoy that.

But I just want you to be aware that there's some terrible misconceptions surrounding the true meaning of this season of Christmas.

Too many think about money.

Think about commercialism, greed.

And let me remind you, the love of money is the root to all evil.

1 Timothy 6 10.

Amen.

Somebody said, How do you keep from being greedy?

That's a good question.

How do you keep from allowing money to make you greedy?

Can I tell you how?

It's very simple.

Very simple.

Give it away.

I mean that.

Be a giver.

If you're constantly giving when God gives to you, you become the conduit.

And as you give, and God gives you more, and you keep giving, I'm going to tell you you'll enjoy the most fruitful life of anyone in this world.

The meaning of Christmas is not getting, it's giving.

It really is.

God gave.

And we're going to see that right here in a few minutes.

Many children know Christmas only as a time of Santa.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

Amen.

Frosty the snowman.

I like Frosty.

Frosty the snowman.

I watch it every year.

I love it.

And I like Rudolph with his nose so bright.

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

I mean, we get caught up in that.

The kids get caught up in that.

And I get caught up in it with them.

So I'm not making a mockery of the fairy tales and all the fun that we do.

But so many times that's all they hear.

That's all they know.

But today, some children, I really believe, have no idea what the true meaning of Christmas really is.

It reminds me of the little story.

A boy came home from Sunday school and he was so excited about learning about the wise men who had brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

He was so excited that he had to tell his mother, and he said, Mom, I learned today in Sunday school all about the first Christmas.

There was not a Santa Claus, Mom.

There was not.

He didn't exist yet.

And I learned today in Sunday school all about that.

And what did you learn, Mom asked her little son?

Here's what I learned.

He said, there were no Rudolph the Ribbono reindeers with their shiny noses to lead the way for these wise men.

So there was a bright, bright, bright flood lamp in the sky.

And these wise men brought all the gifts to the children.

Not Santa.

I thought to myself, well, I guess that's a turn on it.

And then I got to thinking about that.

Santa versus Jesus.

Watch this.

Are you ready?

Santa lives at the North Pole.

Jesus lives everywhere.

He says in Jeremiah 23, 24, I feel the heavens and the earth.

Santa rides in a sleigh.

Jesus rides on the winds and walks on the water.

Amen.

And he came walking to them, the disciples on the water.

Matthew 14, 25.

Santa comes once a year.

Jesus is always near.

I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13, 5.

Santa comes down your chimney.

Jesus stands at the door and knocks.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him.

Oh, yes, my friends.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies.

Jesus supplies all your needs.

My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4 19.

Oh, yes.

If you have to wait in line to see Santa, hey, Jesus is as close as the mention of his name.

You don't have to stand in any line.

Can I get an amen?

Call unto me, he says, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33, 3.

Santa lets you sit in his lap.

Jesus holds you by his hand.

Oh, listen to what he says in Psalms 63:8.

Psalms 63:8

My soul follows hard after thee.

And then God says, And my right hand shall uphold thee.

Wow.

Santa has a belly like a bowl of jelly.

Jesus has a heart of love.

But my God, he says in Romans 5.8, but God has commended his love toward us in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Santa's little helpers make it, hey, makes new toys.

Jesus makes new lives.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ Jesus, he's a new creation, old things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.

Santa puts gifts under your tree.

Jesus became our gift and gave his life.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians 9 15.

So I thought you might just like the little comparison of Santa with Jesus.

Thank God for the Bible.

In his holy inspired, infallible word, God sets the record straight where Christmas is concerned.

He gives us, in no uncertain terms, the true reason for the season.

And Jesus is the reason for the season.

But let's look at it.

And because Jesus is the main reason, I want to share some of the true reasons for the season.

Number one, Christmas is a time for giving.

Look at verse 11.

Look at verse 11.

Oh, I love this.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

For God, quote it with me, John 3.16.

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.

Folks, that is the meaning of Christmas.

He gave.

For God gave his son to men.

In Matthew chapter 1, verses 20 through 23.

Matthew 1:20–23

Jason, if you I think I have that, listen to what he says.

And he says, but while he thought about these things, he's talking to Joseph.

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, that is Joseph, in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take, hey, you, Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit, and she shall bring forth a child, and she shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Wow.

And then so all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets, saying, and I love this.

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is God with us.

That, my friends, is what God gave to us.

God gave his son.

His son became flesh.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God.

John 1, 1, verse 14.

And hey, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of God.

God became, hey, through his son, he came to this earth.

On that Christmas, God gave his very best.

Although Jesus' life proved to be very distinctive.

He taught like no other man.

He performed miracles that nobody ever could duplicate.

He healed, he preached, he loved, he reached out.

His life was a miraculous event after another.

No doubt about it.

However, none of these things qualified him to be our Savior.

None of those.

It wasn't enough for God to send his son into the world, but that same Jesus had to be given up.

He had to go to the cross, he had to go to Calvary.

And I love what he says in John 3.16.

God gave his only begotten Son.

That is the precise meaning of Christmas.

God gave his son.

Thank God for giving the greatest gift.

The cradle was the first stop on the road that was to end at the old rugged cross.

That's why I love that cross.

That's why it stands there all the time.

That's the true meaning of Christmas.

People don't like to say that, but the true meaning of Christmas, really, Christmas was the beginning to the end.

For you and for me.

God gave his son, so what are we to do?

Second thing.

For men, B, we're to give our souls to God.

You know, I kept thinking, how can I, what can I really give to God?

That means something.

Or let me put it another way, what can I really give to God that I personally, absolutely, totally own myself?

Do you realize everything else I have right now?

Hey, it's not mine.

God has allowed me to have it.

My job, my ministry, everything that I am, thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that gives thee power to get wealth.

Deuteronomy 8.18.

Moreover, it is required in a steward that a man be found faithful.

2 Corinthians 14.

I'm just a steward, I own nothing.

And then I got to thinking about it.

How can I give something back to him that I don't own?

It's all his.

So everything, even when we bring our love offering next week, and then I hope it'll be the largest you give all year.

But really, it's not, that's not mine either.

I'm just giving back to him what he's allowed me to have.

Do you understand that?

Don't cheat and rob God.

Give back to God.

10% of all we have is so, so little.

But God takes little and makes much.

I mean, when you give God 10 and you keep, actually, my grandmother used to say, and I keep saying it, and I'm gonna keep saying it until I die.

Remember my two fruit jars?

First jar is Jesus, second jar is savings.

10 cents of every dollar goes in Jesus' jar first, 10 cents in the savings jar, and 80% is the rest for you.

Now, folks, I'm not an accountant, but that's a pretty good deal.

All right.

Hello?

You okay out there?

And with that, 10% first to God, you get all his grace, all his blessings, and all his protection.

My soul, why would anybody have to think twice?

Simple.

So simple.

So what can I give to him that I really own?

There's only one thing you and I can give to him that we really own.

Are you ready?

It's our soul.

It's our soul.

We can give our life back to him.

That's the only thing I have control of.

I can make the choice to receive him or to reject him.

My soul.

Think about it.

Think about it.

I was thinking about that.

You know what?

Have you ever, have you ever, at Christmas, you got you got that name on your list, and usually it's someone that's very close to you, and you try to think about what you can get, give them for Christmas.

But you know they already have everything.

So you know what we do?

We revert back to what everybody gets.

When you know, if you get this as a gift, you know they really didn't know what to give you.

I'm gonna help you this Christmas.

Don't do that?

Yeah, I am.

Overruled.

Socks.

Get a pair of socks, they really didn't know what to give you.

How about, ready for this?

How about handkerchiefs?

Now I actually need handkerchiefs.

Where's mine?

I spit so much when I'm preaching.

I really need them.

Or here's one, you get a tie.

For most of but guess what?

Ties are out, nobody wears a tie anymore.

So you can forget that.

Or underwear.

Everybody needs underwear.

Okay?

But that's what you get if they don't know what to really give you.

And I started thinking about is that not like us to the Lord?

There's nothing we can give him that he doesn't already own and have.

You can't give him a fruit basket.

He made the fruit.

Hello! You can't give him a card and say, Jesus, I love you, and here's a hundred dollar bill.

Hey, he owns the cattle on the hills.

Oh, by the way, that was the other thing.

You get a card with money.

Because they don't know what to get you.

And by the way, I like that gift.

I'd rather let me pick what I want.

Just a thought.

You can give me money.

But isn't that true?

I'm watching all y'all do this and laugh and smile.

Yeah, you've been there.

Some of you have already bought the socks and underwear.

I know.

And I've just told on you.

Yeah, it's a necessity.

I even order my own socks, thank you, because I like a certain kind.

But what can we give?

There's only one true possession that we each have, and it is our soul.

I have control over it, and if I want to give something to the Lord, then it must be my soul.

It is the only thing I have that I can honestly give.

Look at Mark.

Mark 8.

I love these verses right here.

This is powerful.

For what shall it profit a man?

If he shall gain the whole world.

Now what?

And lose his own soul.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

And then look at verse 37.

Jason, give pop verse 37.

And then here's what he says.

Look at this.

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Is that not good?

What would you give?

Hey, instead of your soul?

Nothing.

There's nothing you can give him but your soul.

But you can give that.

Second Corinthians 6 2.

Look at what it says.

He says, Behold, now is the acceptable time.

In fact, for he says, in an acceptable time, I have heard.

Now watch.

Behold, now is the acceptable time.

Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Now, what that means is at just the right time, Jesus said, I heard you.

And on that day of salvation, I helped you.

In other words, Jesus said, When I pricked your heart, when I brought conviction, when I spoke to your heart, it was time for you to say yes to me and give me what I want more than anything, and that's your heart and your soul.

Is that not good?

That's what Jesus wants for Christmas.

He wants you.

He wants your heart.

He wants your soul.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

So, Christmas is a time for giving.

Number two, Christmas is a time for good tidings.

Look at verse 10.

I love it.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not.

For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

By the way, to all people, not a certain few.

I don't believe that God chooses some to be saved and some to go to hell.

I do not believe that, never will.

I don't care.

You can argue with me till the crow comes in or something.

Whatever.

But uh until Rudolph comes, okay.

But hey, listen.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever.

For all.

It's for all people.

Now, I'll tell you the exciting thing.

That Greek word there for good tidings is youangeloz.

Ungelazzo.

I'll get it right in a minute.

That's a pretty tough word.

Uangelo.

Anyway, that's the Greek word.

Forget how to say it, but here's what it means.

It means to evangelize.

That's what it means.

So when we bring good tidings, we're bringing the good news.

And when we bring the, or let me put it another way, we are bringing the greatest news.

We're bringing the gospel to the lost.

We're bringing the gospel to a lost and dying world that needs Jesus.

That's what it means.

Good tidings.

So when you hear that, whether it is sung, whether it's talked about, good tidings means the good news, the gospel.

That we come and we bring it.

The angel here in verse 10 came with a message of good tidings.

The message of the angel was a message of salvation.

He came to proclaim the glorious news that a Savior had been born in Bethlehem.

But God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5.8.

But not only is it a message of good tidings, look at it.

It's a message of hope.

Have you ever thought about the first people God revealed the birth of his son to?

Let's see.

If you know this Christmas story.

Who were the first to know about the birth of Christ?

What are you laughing at me for?

Mary.

Why did you make her so smart?

True.

I was not trying to give a trick question either.

Other than Mary and Joseph and Joseph.

Thank you, brother.

Thank you, Mitch.

So who were who were the next group?

Thank you, darling.

The shepherds and the wise men.

But the shepherds first.

Why?

Have you ever thought about that?

Though wait a minute, who were the shepherds?

Are you ready for this?

Some of you, when we do our Christmas plays and they start walking down, they look so cute and because usually they're the cutest kids in the program.

And they've come in with their little staffs and they'll come in, and you were sitting there saying, Oh, how cute, oh, how precious.

But do you realize that the real shepherds were the worst of the worst?

They were the outcasts, they were considered unclean.

Hello?

They were considered more or less like thieves if you were not careful.

I mean, they wouldn't, they wouldn't, they were not even allowed to come into the courtyard, much less go into the temple.

But now think about this.

They were the worst of the worst, the most unclean, but yet they were the ones.

Now guess where they were?

Right outside Jerusalem, right where the priests offer sacrifices every day of unblemished, supposedly lambs.

So here's the outcast taking care of the most precious lambs to be sacrificed.

That never made sense to me.

So the outcast had the one of the most important jobs for the temple.

But yet they didn't want them in the temple.

Whoa, sound familiar?

Hello?

We've got a lot of outcasts in Shelby County that we don't want in the temple, but yet we want them to do what we want them to do.

Hello.

Sounds like politics to me.

Oh Lord, don't quench the spirit.

Let's forget that statement.

But think about it.

What are you saying, Pastor?

Are you ready for this?

This is precious.

This is unbelievable.

Hey, the message.

It's a message of hope.

That means I don't care how bad you are.

I don't care what you've done.

I don't care.

Hey, people say God can't save me.

You don't know what I've done.

It doesn't matter what you've done.

It doesn't matter if you have committed murder or whatever you've done.

My God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to change your life, to save you, and put you on the right road.

He died for the outcast.

In fact, the outcast was the first ones he went to.

Woo! Now that's grace.

Are you with me, church?

Are you with me?

It was a message of hope.

Notice the third thing.

The message hadn't changed.

The gospel is still a message of hope.

Look at John 6.37.

Look at John 6.37.

All that the Father gives to me shall come to me, and he that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out.

Woo-hoo! That means the outcast.

That means the, hey, that means the down and outer.

That means the up and outer.

It means everyone.

God is no respecter of persons.

None whatsoever.

Look at Isaiah 1, 18 and 19.

I love it.

He says, Come now.

Let us reason together, saith the Lord.

Though your sins, watch, are like scarlet, they shall be what?

White as snow.

Though they be red like crimson.

I told you Alabama's in here.

They shall be as wool.

Now watch this.

If you are willing and obedient, that's the key.

You shall eat the good of the land.

But if you refuse and rebel, verse 20, it's not up there, but I'll quote it for you.

Verse 20, but if you refuse and rebel, you should be devoured by the sword.

We have a choice.

We do have that choice.

I love Matthew 11, 28.

Listen to this.

This will be a great Christmas verse for the down and outers.

I call it Christ died for the down and outers, the in and outers, and the up and outers.

He died for all of them.

But watch this.

He says, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.

You know what that means?

All that are weary and carry heavy burdens.

Take my yoke upon yourself, and I will lead you to rest.

I'll lead you to rest.

Isn't that awesome?

Isn't that awesome?

Many of you have many heavy burdens.

I know, I know right now, it's Christmas, but I know it's a time of joy, but there's a lot of sadness and heaviness and hurting going on right now.

Right now, right here in our community, in our church.

You know what I love about being a shepherd?

Because I can minister and help meet needs.

And if I can't meet your need, what I can do for you is be there with you and pray with you.

And that's the greatest need.

Amen.

Is that not the greatest need?

Wow.

Wow.

Number three.

Christmas is a time of giving, yes.

Of good tidings, yes.

Bringing the good news, yes.

But it's also a time of amazing grace.

Look at verse 11.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

In a very real sense.

Watch this.

In a very real sense.

Are you ready for this?

Now don't say I'm a heretic, what I'm about to say.

But in a very real sense, you and I are the reason for the season.

The reason God sent Jesus at Christmas, and Jesus is the reason for the season, but he came so that he could save us.

You and I are the reason he came.

If it was just for one little soul, he would still had come, have come.

He would have.

He would have come.

Jesus would have come.

Isaiah 9, 6.

Unto us a child is born.

Unto us a son is given.

There's the humanity and the divinity in those that one statement.

Unto us a child is born.

That's humanity.

Unto us a son is given from God.

That's divinity.

And the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called.

Woo! Wonderful.

Counselor, mighty God, Prince of Peace, everlasting Father.

That means he's everything that you ever need.

Hey, you're everything that, hey, you need him to be.

He is for you.

Amen.

Let's just give Jesus a clap offering for that.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

That's him.

That's what it is.

The un, you know what grace, I wrote this in big bowl letters in my notes.

Grace is the unmerited.

That means you don't deserve it.

Love and favor of God granted to you and me.

We didn't deserve it.

If we got what we deserve, we ought to go to hell.

Well, did a preacher say that?

That's not politically correct.

No, but it's the truth.

Thank God we for Christmas we don't get what we deserve.

We have a choice.

Amen?

We have a choice.

We have a choice.

The unmerited love and favor of God towards sinners.

That's what grace is.

There is not a single individual in this place watching online who deserves anything from God.

Nothing.

For the wages of sin is death.

But Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, are you ready?

For by grace are we saved through faith, not of yourselves.

There's nothing you can do.

Thank God that you're a part of this church.

Thank God you attend regularly.

Thank God many of you are covenant members.

And if you're not, we got a covenant class starting again in January.

We'd love for you to consider being a part of the covenant membership.

But hey, hey, think about it.

It's great.

That, hey, we're fixing to watch some people going on that water.

There's not a more beautiful picture of a testimony than being baptized.

Therefore, we're buried with him by baptism unto death that, like as Christ is raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in union.

So life, Romans 6, 4.

What that literally means, I'm going ahead and tell you so I don't have to tell you again in a little bit.

Hey, what that means is when you go under, you're saying you're buried your old way of living.

And when you come up, you're coming up, and you're saying to the whole congregation, to the whole world, whoa, hallelujah! I am now walking a new life.

I've got a new life, a life like Christ.

That's what it is.

It's a testimony, has nothing to do with salvation, but everything to do with obedience.

Listen to me now.

Right after you get saved, the first thing God asks you to do is to follow the Lord and believers' baptism.

So some of you really need to be baptized.

You've been saved, but you hadn't fought.

Or you say, here's what you say.

Well, I was I was saved.

Well, I was baptized when I was a child.

Yeah, but if you weren't really saved, all you did was get dumped.

Hello?

You got to understand what that bad.

That's a very important, hey, article and hey, article of the church.

You make it public, and how do you do that?

Yes, you come forth and confess before men, but it's also part of that.

That's part of your confession.

You're telling the world, baptize me, I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

You have changed my life.

Woo! I'm a new creation, old things have, I'm about to have a spell.

New creation, old things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.

Baptism is just not a ritual, it's a testimony.

Amen.

You know what I'd want to be?

I'd want to be a Pentecostal so I could get saved again, again, again, again, and again.

Woo! Is that good?

Now I don't believe.

I believe one's saved always, hey.

But anyway, I just thought it and it came out.

My wife, there she goes again.

My wife gives me clues.

She'll do this, this, this.

This means speed up.

I love you.

And corrects me when I'm wrong.

Mary and Joseph.

That was good.

I love her.

How many?

38.

37.

37.

Wonderful year.

Amen.

Amen.

She's had to put up God.

She's got a lot of crowns coming, ladies.

Yep.

Yep.

Boy, she does.

You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 27:1, boast not thyself of tomorrow.

Proverbs 27:1

For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

God Himself said in Genesis chapter 6, verse 3, He said, My spirit shall not always strive with men.

Genesis 6:3

So listen to me, folks.

If God is speaking to your heart this morning, or watching online this morning, you need to make that decision.

Behold, now's the time.

Behold, now this day is the day of salvation.

Don't you put it off.

You say, Well, I'll be like the thief.

I'll wait till the last minute.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Who said that thief, that was his last opportunity?

He was a thief.

Thief?

Thieves were not in the habit of going to church.

Thieves weren't in the habit of going to Bible study.

I believe with all my heart.

That was the first time that thief ever heard the gospel.

And his buddy in crime heard it too.

One received, one rejected.

Don't you wait?

You say, well, I'll wait till I'm dying.

Don't you wait.

Don't you do it.

Do I believe in deathbed decisions?

Yes.

But you don't know when that deathbed's gonna be.

That's why now's the time.

Today! Number four.

Christmas is a time for glorifying God.

Look at verse 13 and 14.

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill toward men.

Oh my friends, wow, glory to God in the highest.

In other words, in the highest means heavens.

Glory to God on high and on earth.

Peace.

Goodwill toward men.

After the first angel, right here we see finished his speech, he was immediately joined by a multitude.

We have no idea how many that is.

But we know it was more than you could count.

And they lifted their voices to give glory and praise to the Lord.

May I remind you that Christmas, along with Easter, is a time for you and me to exhibit our faith openly like no other time.

It really is.

It really is.

Don't be ashamed of the God.

You know what I'm what I'm loving everywhere I'm going?

And I do this on purpose.

Anytime somebody does anything for me or I talk to anybody, I say, Merry Christmas! I don't say ex Christmas.

Hello?

Don't you don't you do ex miss.

Thank you.

It's Merry Christmas.

Christ.

You know what?

I'm hearing everybody say Merry Christmas back.

They're not gonna get in trouble this time.

A few years ago, every time you say Merry Christmas, they say happy holidays.

I'm not, I you know what I used to say, starting to think I wanted to say.

I'm not happy, what if I'm not happy?

Huh?

Think a minute, and I know what you said.

What are you going with that when I don't know?

Pray for me.

No.

I'm not happy.

Why?

Because I don't know Christ.

But when I say Merry Christmas, I'm happy because I know the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who brought me out of a horrible pit, put my feet on a rock, and gave me a new song.

Glory to God in the highest on earth.

Peace, goodwill to men.

Are you with me?

That's the difference.

That's the difference.

And after the shepherds met him, they became the missionaries.

Now, watch, they went back telling others about him, and they returned to their lives, glorifying Christ.

Now notice something.

They got radically saved.

They got radically changed, and everywhere they went, they had the Cain Hepans.

They couldn't help but speak the things that they had seen and heard.

Can I get an amen?

Everywhere I go, whether I'm drinking coffee with my pickleball buddies or wherever, I try to interject Christ, my testimony.

Why?

Because I can't help it.

Do you really have that joy this morning?

Do you really have that excitement this morning?

Do you know him?

Because if you know him, you can't help but sharing.

Now notice they went back to their regular job.

See, when God saves you, somebody says, I'm afraid to get saved.

He may send me to Africa, Benit.

So that you can be alive where you're coming from.

The woman at the way I think about the head.

I won't tell everything I know.

Return to the ancient home of his forefather.

For he and Mary, it was a time for them to go home.

I was putting this together.

About my kids being gone.

Some of them will not be with us this Christmas.

Many of us will go home to our parents during the holiday season.

Many will travel great distances, and we need to be praying for their safety to go home for the holidays.

Heather and Rick now are in Houston visiting their family.

And for most of the families, that will make Christmas very special.

May I say to us that are gathered here this morning, there's some that need to go home.

Yes, physically, there's been separation within your family.

You need to make it right.

But I'm talking about another person.

God so divinely spoke to my heart.

In Luke 15, Jason, put it up there.

Verses 20 through 24.

There was a wretched guy.

Well, I say wretched, he had disobeyed his father.

He wanted all his wealth and all his stuff immediately.

And he wanted to go live his life the way he wanted to live it.

And you know what happened?

He went and he lived it the way he wanted to live it.

And he lost everything he had.

He had forgotten the teachings he had learned from his father.

Or maybe I don't think he forgot them.

He just put them aside.

And he lived his life the way he wanted to live it.

Look what happened.

The Bible says he ended up in the pig pit.

Lost everything.

He's sitting there, and the only thing he had to eat was the husk of the hawks.

That's pretty low, folks.

But then all of a sudden the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart.

And it says, and he arose and he came to his father.

Yes.

But when he was still, when he was still, what there he said, and he and the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your side, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But now what?

But the Father.

And what you don't realize, the Father ran out and grabbed him and started kissing him, putting his arms around him.

Bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry.

For this, my son was dead and is alive again.

He was lost, but now it's found, and they began to be merry.

For by grace, the son had come home.

Think about that.

This morning, early as I was going back, the Holy Spirit, verse 20, look at what happened to the Son.

The Son had hastiness.

When he came to himself, he didn't wait.

He says, I know my father's servants have it better than this.

I know where I can get help.

I know where I can be loved.

I know where I can be comforted.

I'm going home now.

But oh now's the day of salvation.

And then notice the second thing.

He humbled himself.

Father, I've messed up.

Father, I've I've blown it.

I'm not even worthy to be called your son.

Would you please forgive me?

I'm not asking for anything but to just to be a servant.

Woo! That's what we got.

That's what we need to be right there.

Nothing but a servant.

I don't need to be the king.

I don't need to be the son of the king.

I just need to be a servant.

I do lose.

The third thing I saw with the sun was the hardness.

What do you mean by hardness?

It had to be hard for him to humble himself.

It had to be hard for him to make that long journey with no food, nothing.

It was a, I mean, he had to crucify his pride.

Can I get an amen?

You know why a lot of people don't come to Christ because they're too hard?

They're worried about what other people think and they're worried about what they think, and you ought to throw that out the windows.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Now watch this.

Look at the Father.

Showed him compassion.

I believe the Father got up every morning praying for his son to come home.

Some of you are doing that right now.

I'm praying for some of my family members to come home.

This season, Lord, this Christmas, bring them home.

Come home.

Come home.

He ran.

Oh, hey, not only do I see the compassion, but he ran to him.

He, hey, he wasn't running to him to say, I told you, you should have listened.

You should have.

You should have.

No.

He came and said, I love you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Father.

Thank you, God, for bringing my son home.

There was no condemnation, there was compassion.

There was compassion and comfort.

And then he fell on his neck.

And he kissed.

God the Father.

He's not running to you, but he's standing here waiting for you to run to him.

Just like this son did.

Amen.

Amen, church.

Amen, church.

It's time for you to go home.

It's time to come home to the Father.

Can I get an Amen, Church?

It's time to come home.

Make this the most wonderful Christmas you've ever had.

Get your life right with God.

If you're lost, get saved.

Can I get an Amen?

If you're wayward, come home.

Come for salvation, come for waywardness, but come home.