Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Podcast (vidpod): Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: RSS
In a matter of hours, we go from a solemn prayer of thanksgiving… to trampling people for flat-screen TVs.
We go from the kindness and closeness of people we love… to mindless, heartless hordes where no one looks at each other.
After this season of materialism and reckless spending, many will do some soul searching as they form new year resolutions to do better with their finances and make more time for what really matters… but as for now it is spend, spend, spend, and get out of my way.
This is a strange time of year.
In a time where we should have peace, hope, and love… many people will suffer depression and many will commit suicide.
It’s a time of strange arguments… There is a weird war of political correctness and religious zeal…
Are they holiday trees or Christmas trees?
Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?
Some Christians become militant during this season. IT’S CHRISTMAS!! Not happy holiday or Xmas
You have probably heard the cliché “Keep Christ in Christmas”
What does it really mean to keep Christ in Christmas?
Is it just a word game? Semantics? Do Christians feel like they “WIN” if they get others to use the word Christmas?
If we get an atheist to say “Christmas” tree does an angel get its wings?
Christianity has far too often become about the jargon and language, rather than about Jesus Christ. This is a strange time of year where it becomes all too apparent.
We have argued to keep Christ in the WORD Christmas, but have failed in keeping Christ in us.
Can we stop it with the stupid name games? That’s isn’t righteousness it’s self-righteousness…
Messiah Season
There is nothing wrong with vacation, time with family, or giving gifts.
But other holidays provide time off work and school. Other special days provide gifts.
This is just another holiday without the presence of messiah.
I want to talk to you the next few moments about making this Messiah Season.
Let’s avoid the strangeness of this season. Let’s make this a season where we are aware of the promise of a savior and redeemer.
Messiah
Messiah/Mashiyach – means one who is anointed. Its meaning is deep and important. The meaning of Messiah, the anointed one, is everything this season is supposed to be about. …Anoint basically means covered in oil… In scripture they would anoint a king or a priest, they would cover them in oil.
Our messiah is the anointed one.
To anoint you must Select…
You must Separate…
You must Cover…
God has selected our Messiah – Our Savior Christ the Lord
He has separated Him for the specific purpose
And He has covered Him with power and glory
We believe Jesus is the anointed one… the messiah… the Christ (Greek word equivalent).
When Adam & Eve fell into sin… they started looking for the Messiah.
Eve said in Genesis 4:25 “God has granted/appointed me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
Hebrew scholars believe her underlying thought was the messiah.
The hope of all the Bible patriarchs, Abraham, Moses, David… is the Messiah. The hope of everyone is Messiah.
Messiah is a promise
Messiah is a promise, thousands of years in the making
Think about the plan of God to redeem mankind. Big deal right?
Think about the enormity of a single prophetic promise from God being delivered to man.
Now realize what it means for that singular promise to be fulfilled. Now add to that singular promise to many other unified promises.
God was faithful in keeping every last promise… Every promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the messiah.
What if we made this season about faithfulness… like how God was faithful to His promise?
You think Christmas is about giving gifts? Messiah is all about giving.
Messiah is all about giving.
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Peace on earth…
Good will on earth…
Atonement on earth…
Forgiveness on earth…
Redemption on earth…
Freedom from the curse of sin on earth…
Joy on earth… On and On
The little baby laying in a feed trough was an open conduit to pour heavens peace & blessings out upon the earth.
What if we made this season about what Messiah has done and given?
Messiah is about others.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Came to earth… NOT TO RECEIVE… but to give.
Your Messiah isn’t self-centered. What if we, like Messiah, made this season about others and not just ourselves?
What would it look like if we made this Messiah Season? What would it look like if we really put CHRIST in Christmas?
What if we avoided materialism and greed that has taken over this season?
I want to give you an opportunity to change the focus of this season from yourself to others.
(Children’s Hospital giving opportunity)
It’s not just this holiday season that centers on Messiah
Our Faith, our hope, our life is centered in Messiah.
Remember how God…selected our Messiah.
God separated Him for the specific purpose.
And God has covered Him with power and glory.
Will you select Jesus to be your savior?
Will you separated him for specific worship?
Will you cover him with honor?
Messiah Season
The purpose of this series IS NOT…
To demonize our culture for the way they celebrate the season. We aren’t declaring a war on Santa…
We are challenging ourselves to focus on the Messiah and to live out Messiah.
The purpose of this series IS NOT…
To appear or feel more spiritual because we are truly keeping Christ in Christmas…
We repent of self-righteousness and focus on the only one who brings righteousness into the world.
The purpose of this series is to place this season in its proper perspective.
The purpose of this series is to understand the promise of Messiah.
And as we understand the true hope of this season we share it in authentic ways.
3 Gifts
Messiah was celebrated by 3 Magi… 3 Wise men who traveled from afar.
They brought with them gifts of Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh and offered them to Jesus.
These 3 gifts… Gold, Frankincense, and myrrh, encapsulate the 3 fold promise of Messiah. There are 3 things that all the prophecies promised Messiah would be. We will make this the focus of the series.
Next week we will talk about the Gold that is offered to a King.
We are going to give you an opportunity to give to the King and help local families in need. Between now and then we want you to pray about what Messiah would have you give.
Repent & refocus.