Lucky You!
You get to read 2 sermons from Christmas Eve!
Christmas Eve 3:00 & 5:00
December 24, 2011
Luke 2:1-20
Promises Made…Promises Kept
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen
Well!...You’ve made it! We’ve ALL made it through the Advent season and here we are…
It’s Christmas Eve.
And I’ve got to say…if you’re not ready for Christmas…you’re probably NOT going to be!
Is your tree all decorated and ready for what will be beneath it?
Do you all of your presents bought and wrapped?
Is all of your food bought and ready to be made?
Are all of your families poised to make trips to spend time with each other?
Well, there is one thing that we have to take care of…The Advent wreath!
Yep, tonight is the night that we light all 4 candles around the middle one.
And you all know what that middle candle represents, don’t you?
Wait for it…Wait for it…
I’ve found a video that tell us this wonderful story…this story of a baby being born.
And that’s all that this story is really, isn’t it?
I mean, I know that Jesus is the Son of God and that he IS God and that he is the Messiah…
But really this night is all about a baby being born…a very special baby, under very special circumstances…but this night is a party about a baby being born.
Here’s the video…It’s called “A Storybook Christmas”
You can watch it here:
http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/27664/A-Storybook-Christmas
I like this video because it hits us with different learning styles…
We hear the story, we can read the story and we can see the story…
And after watching the video, we’ve ALL experienced this story of Jesus being born.
So, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Let’s light them…
1…2…3…4…and the center candle…the Christ candle…
Because Jesus is the light of the world…
And so, tonight is pretty much a celebration, isn’t it? I mean, we did just light some candles!
I mean, we are celebrating the birth of a baby.
I just saw a new mom and dad with their little baby boy on Friday…
He was maybe 7 hours old…what a beautiful thing!
People brought gifts and flowers and came with smiles on their faces and joy in their steps…
A Baby Had Been Born!
And that’s what we’re here for tonight.
But we almost miss it, don’t we?
In all of the busyness and “To Do” lists and things to plan and people to remember with our gifts and thoughts…
In all of that, sometimes we miss it…we miss what this term “Merry Christmas” means…
And what DOES it really mean?
Simply put…it means this:
Merry=Happy
Christmas=a celebration worship honoring the Christ Child
So, Merry Christmas Everybody!
Happy Celebration Worship Honoring the Baby Jesus Christ!
A Baby has been Born!
A very special Baby and we should be having a party…we should be giving gifts…we should be making merry with food and families and friends…
Oh, wait….that IS what we do!...Isn’t it?
But, some people don’t “do” Christmas because of what we know.
Some people miss that Christmas is about God becoming one of us because of his love for us…
Some people miss that Christmas is about a promise made by God and fulfilled by God…in the birth of a baby boy in very interesting circumstances
We can get caught up in the hoopla of Christmas and we can even get caught up in that guy in the red suit…
I found a video that compares Jesus and Santa.
It’s very interesting and puts things into some pretty good perspective for us…
It’s called “Jesus and Santa.”
Here’s the link:
http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/8616/Jesus-And-Santa
Ultimately, Santa is about…Me…and all of the stuff that I want.
But Jesus is about something more…the grace I so desperately need.
It’s interesting how we get confused sometimes isn’t it?
But don’t confuse this…
Jesus came down from heaven to be a part of us…to be one of us…
God did this in LOVE…so that we could
And all of this comes from a celebration of the birth of a baby…
And that’s why we sing songs like “Away in a Manger.”
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love you, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with you there.
…all of these things…from a baby being born…
A very special baby…God’s Son…who would grow up to show us and the whole world what God’s love is all about.
And that’s why you’re here tonight…
So, Merry Christmas…
May we all remember the baby born in a manger…who is Christ our King.
Prayer. Amen.
Christmas Eve 7:00 & 9:00
December 24, 2011
Luke 2:1-20
Promises Made…Promises Kept
Well!...You’ve made it! We’ve ALL made it through the Advent season and here we are…
It’s Christmas Eve.
And I’ve got to say…if you’re not ready for Christmas…you’re probably NOT going to be!
Is your tree all decorated and ready for what will be beneath it?
Do you all of your presents bought and wrapped?
Is all of your food bought and ready to be made?
Are all of your families poised to make trips to spend time with each other?
There’s a word, well a name actually, that I want you all to get familiar with.
The word is “Emmanuel”…can you repeat that for me?
Emmanuel! Great!
That’s the word of the night…for this night we celebrate Emmanuel…Jesus…
And the word means this:
God Is With Us…
What does it mean everyone?
God Is With Us…
And so, tonight is pretty much a celebration, isn’t it? I mean, we did just light some candles!
I mean, we are celebrating the birth of a baby.
And the baby’s name was? Jesus or Emmanuel! Right!
I just saw a new mom and dad with their little baby boy on Friday…
He was maybe 7 hours old…what a beautiful thing!
People brought gifts and flowers and came with smiles on their faces and joy in their steps…
A Baby Had Been Born!
And that’s what we’re here for tonight.
But we almost miss it, don’t we?
In all of the busyness and “To Do” lists and things to plan and people to remember with our gifts and thoughts…
In all of that, sometimes we miss it…we miss what this term “Merry Christmas” means…
And what DOES it really mean?
Simply put…it means this:
Merry=Happy
Christmas=a celebration worship honoring the Christ Child
So, Merry Christmas Everybody!
Happy Celebration Worship Honoring the Baby Jesus Christ!
A Baby has been Born!
A very special Baby and we should be having a party…we should be giving gifts…we should be making merry with food and families and friends…
Oh, wait….that IS what we do!...Isn’t it?
And it all comes down to Emmanuel…
And what does that mean everyone?
God Is With Us!
Right!
That’s what happened that day.
A moment that changed the world in the form of a baby…the Son of God…Emmanuel…Jesus.
“Four Words”
http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/11635/Four-Words
The four words that changed history can now change us…
God Is With Us…
These four words are the only words that can bring meaning to the deepest places of our hearts.
GOD IS WITH YOU!
Do you know that?
That’s what we believe! That’s why we’re here tonight!
That is news that each and every one of us NEEDS TO KNOW!
Focus:
God IS With Us…do you believe it? Do you let that truth guide you?
Prayer. Amen
