SERMON SEEDS J40 FOR 12/25/06 - SENT EARLY
Posted by: jpeters <jpeters@...>
OUR TENTH YEAR
SERMON SEEDS FOR DECEMBER 25, 2006
(WERE SENDING THIS EDITION EARLY!)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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IN THIS ISSUE OF SERMON SEEDS I have mostly included previously shared outlines. The first outline is an elaboration of a previously shared seed. The next two are new. The rest are reruns. I trust that they will be a blessing to you.
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Luke 2:1-20
DR. LUKE TALKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS
THE BABY ARRIVES 1-7
Luke 2:7 - And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
No room!
Some people have thought that a wicked innkeeper kept Jesus from having a room. Actually Inns weren't very big, and it was a very busy time. Caesar Augustus decreed that everyone had to go to their home town and register for a new round of taxes! If our government required us to do that, I'd have to go to Paterson, New Jersey! Because people had to travel, the inns would have been busy. The people would have been busy! There was just no room at a busy time!
No room!
No room for Jesus in the inn was really no big deal. God had planned it that way.
God had planned for Jesus to be born in a stable.
God had planned for Jesus to be laid in a manger.
God had planned for him to be wrapped in swaddling clothes.
All of this made Him easily found by the shepherds who would visit.
No room for Jesus in the Inn - No big deal!
But if there is no room for Jesus in your heart, that's a big deal, and a big problem!
THE ANGELS ANNOUNCE 8-14
Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
When the angel said "unto you is born a Savior", he wasn't just talking to the shepherds! He was talking to you too!
"A Savior," you say, "Why do I need a Savior?"
Well, remember what you did, when you thought nobody was looking? God was looking.
And, remember those bitter unkind words you said when you were angry? God heard them.
And remember those off-color remarks you made to a choice friend? God heard those too!
What about those fantasies that were X-rated? Yep, God saw those too.
And what about the items that weren't very big, and weren't yours that became yours? God was there for that one too.
Fact is, we don't think much of our being sinners, but that doesn't change the fact that we are. And nobody is excluded. Romans 3:23
And by the way, God, as a righteous, holy, God, can not stand your sin! That's why Heaven is no place for you! You owe God, because you have broken His laws! Ezekiel 18:4 says, the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Unto you a Savior was born. Jesus came to rescue you, save you from you sin. "How did he do that," you ask. Very simply put, He did what you haven't done. He just lived a perfect life. He never sinned! Not once! So when it came to "pay back" time, Jesus owed God nothing. Because He owed God nothing, He paid for your sins on the cross, because he had none of his own.
Hey you! Yes you! A savior is born. He was born to die for you!
Have you claimed Him as your Savior?
THE SHEPHERDS ATTEND 15-20
Luke 2:15 - And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
The shepherds had just received a wonderful birth announcement from God.
His angels announced that His Son had been born!
These shepherds didn't just stay out in the field. They headed for Bethlehem, because they wanted to see the baby for themselves!
The problem with many people is that they are not like the shepherds. Oh they've heard about the birth of the Savior all their lives. They've heard about Jesus dying on the cross all their lives.
They've heard about Jesus' resurrection from the dead all their lives. But they've never bothered to see for themselves the reality of those truths.
They heard about the birth but haven't seen it for themselves.
They heard about the cross, but haven't seen it for themselves.
They heard about the resurrection, but haven't seen it for themselves.
What does seeing involve?
It involves faith.
What is faith? It is believing what God has said, and applying it to your own life.
The shepherds heard the message of Jesus' birth from the angels.
They believed what they were told.
They went to see Jesus by faith.
You have been told that the Son of God has been born.
You have been told that Jesus died so he could be your Savior.
You have been told that Jesus rose from the dead.
Come and see it by faith.
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again.
See Jesus as your only way to Heaven and forgiveness for sin. Ephesians 2:8-9
THE BABY ARRIVES
THE ANGELS ANNOUNCE
THE SHEPHERDS ATTEND
An elaboration on a previously shared Sermon Seed
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JOHN 1:14
THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS
Instead of going to one of the more traditional locations in the Bible for our text for a Christmas Message, I have directed your attention to John 1:1-14. For all the great, wordy, needed account of Christmas given by Luke, John gets at the heart of the meaning of Christmas in just one verse.
John 1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
THE WORD
The topic of John's Christmas message is the "The Word".
It doesn't take much thought to figure out that the term, "The Word" is referring to God's Son, The Lord Jesus.
Earlier in this chapter, John has some things to say about "The Word". It will help for us to remind ourselves what John says about Jesus as "The Word".
Vs. 1 - In the beginning was the Word...
Sounds like Genesis 1:1, doesn't it?
We will find as we read on that there is good reason for John to begin his Gospel this way.
"In the beginning, God..."
"In the beginning was the Word..."
Both existed in the beginning.
Both involved in creation.
Both are deity, God the Father, God the Son.
Jesus is called "the word."
What does a word do?
First, a word expresses a thought. It is used to explain what we are thinking. For example if I am thinking of an object that sits on a counter, has a door on it, and cooks food real fast, the word I attach to that thought is "micro-wave".
First, a word expresses a thought. Second, a word communicates that thought to others. The way you understand what I am thinking is by the words I use.
Jesus is called the "Word".
He expresses the thought of who God is and what God is like.
He reveals God to us. He shows us how God is thinking.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God...
The idea of being with someone can have various meanings. On separate occasions I was with Johnny Cash, The Four Seasons, The Statler Brothers, and John Denver. Of course so were thousands of other people. I got nowhere near them but I was with them.
However, we had our adult class Christmas party we were eyeball to eyeball. We were with each other in a close way.
When this says that the word was with God, it means they were face to face. They were up close and personal. Jesus is closer to God the Father than any other person in the universe, with the possible exception of the Holy Spirit, who would be equally close. John 1:18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Here is a clear statement concerning the deity of Christ, and you'll ever here. THE WORD WAS GOD!
Some will say that Jesus was a great teacher, and He was.
Some will say that Jesus was a mighty miracle worker, and He was.
Some will say that Jesus was a great man, and He was.
But above this, Jesus was, and is, GOD!
God is a trinity or a triunity.
One God, three persons in the Godhead.
They have the same characteristics of deity.
They have the same purpose as deity.
Each on is God, and yet each one is unique.
Vs. 2 - Referring to the Lord Jesus, Proverbs 8:27-30 gives some good commentary on this verse.
Vs. 3 - Jesus is the Word. As The Word, Jesus reveals the thoughts of God. Therefore, as the Word, Jesus expresses God's thoughts in God's creation. Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-2
Vs. 4 - In Him was life because He is creator.
In Him was life because He is God.
In Him was life because He went to the cross to
die for us that we might have eternal life.
In Him was life because He rose from the dead.
This life is the light of men.
You see, we as men and women have darkened hearts, darkened by the darkness of sin.
It is the Lord Jesus, who not only gives life, but light.
When a person puts His faith in Christ, instead of residing in Satan's Kingdom of Darkness, through Him we are translated into His Kingdom of light. Colossians 1:12-13, John 8:12
Vs. 5 - The light of the world is shinning in the darkness, and yet the powers of darkness did not comprehend, or apprehend it.
If you have trusted Christ as Savior, you are part of the Kingdom of light. If you have not trusted Christ as Savior, you are not part of the Kingdom of light. Which is true for you?
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
We already saw that Jesus as the Word existed from the beginning.
But there was a time when Jesus was made flesh or became flesh. Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Philippians 2:5-8
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
When Jesus came to earth He dwelt, or tabernacled, or pitched his tent among us.
He was:
Among the sin though sinless
Among the sickness
Among the frustrations
Among the difficulties
Among the unfairness
Among the bondage
Just as God dwelled in a tent, a tabernacle among the children of Israel, God the Son choose to pitch His tent with sinful man!
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY
John is saying, "I am an eyewitness." The apostles and I saw it all!
John could say, I saw the glory of His miracles, including the feeding of the 5 thousand, the healing of the man born blind, the turning of water into wine, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
John could say, I saw the glory of his sinless life.
When others would be unreasonable, Jesus was never unreasonable.
When others lost their tempers, Jesus never lost His.
When others sought their own glory, Jesus sought His Heavenly Father's glory.
When others lied, stole, and cheated, Jesus was above reproach.
John could say, I saw the glory of his death. John was an eyewitness of Jesus fulfilling Isaiah 53:6-9.
Then John saw the glory of his resurrection and his ascension.
Later, John would see the glory of the glorified Lord in Revelation.
Of course all of the glory of the Lord Jesus showed Him to be as the "Only Begotten Of The Father."
There never was one like the Lord Jesus.
And there never will be.
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY
FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH
Grace - God's unmerited favor.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Jesus is the truth - John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
What He says is true.
What He does is true.
What He stands for is true.
As truth, Jesus cannot stand for sin.
As full of grace, He satisfied the need truth has to see sin punished.
He was full of both - grace and truth.
Reminds me of Psalm 85:10 - Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
So, we see the real meaning of Christmas.
THE WORD
BECAME FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY
FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH
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Luke 1:26-38
A MARY CHRISTMAS or MARY LEARNS ABOUT JESUS
MARY SAW AN ANGEL Vss. 26-29
MARY HEARD AN ANNOUNCEMENT Vss. 30-33
MARY HAD ASSISTANCE Vss.34-37
MARY HARBORED ASSURANCE Vs. 38
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Matthew 2:1-15
SOMETHING SPECIAL
SPECIAL TIME - Vs. 1 - "When Jesus was born..."
SPECIAL PLACE - Vs. 1 - Bethlehem - Micah 5:2
SPECIAL PERSON - Vs. 1 - Jesus - Isaiah 9:6
SPECIAL WELCOMING COMMITTEE - Vs. 2 - The Wise Men
SPECIAL ENEMY - Vss. 3-8 - Herod
SPECIAL JOY - Vss. 9-10 - See Luke 2:10
SPECIAL GIFTS - Vs. 11
SPECIAL PROTECTION - Vss. 12-15
Sermon Seeds B40
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Luke 2:1-20
LET'S MEET THE ORIGINAL CAST!
Each year at this time there are countless Christmas programs. There have been many people who have played the parts of Mary and Joseph, angels, and shepherds. But we can't improve on the original cast of characters who played themselves one night almost 2,OOO years ago.
Let's meet them, and the roles they played.
GOD'S PERFECTED PLAN Vss. 1-3, 6-7
JOSEPH'S SUBMISSIVE SERVICE Vs. 4
THE ANGELS' PRAISING PROCLAMATION Vss. 8-14
THE SHEPHERDS' ENTHUSIASTIC EVANGELISM Vss. 15-18, 20
1. They heard.
2. They believed. Vss. 15-16
3. They shared. Vss. 17-18
4. They rejoiced Vs.20
MARY'S REFLECTIVE REMEMBRANCES Vs. 19
A Previously Shared Sermon Seed
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Luke 2:25-35
ONE MAN'S CHRISTMAS
People celebrate Christmas in various ways. (Elaborate on the different ways people celebrate the holiday.) There was one man who celebrated the first Christmas in a very fitting way. His name was Simeon.
HE WAS A GODLY MAN Vs. 25
HE HAD A GODLY MOTIVATION Vss. 26-27
The Spirit had told him he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Also, the Spirit guided him to the baby Jesus in the temple.
HE HAD A GODLY MESSAGE Vss. 28-35
Sermon Seeds A40
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Luke 2:36-38
ANNA - TOO YOUNG TO RETIRE
An older congregation might appreciate this mother in the faith. Although she had no children, she is a godly example to those who wish to "retire" from Christian service prematurely.
HER AGE - Vs. 36-37
She lived with a husband for seven years and had been a widow for 84 years!
Assuming that she married as a young teen, she had to be over a hundred!
HER ACTIVITY - Vs. 37
She did what she could to serve God. She fasted and prayed!
Most older people can't do what they once could. But every Christian can do something.
One of the ladies in our church is 93 years old and still showed up for the Ladies Missions
Society work day on Tuesday mornings. She and a younger lady (only 80) paste pictures on blank place mats so they can be used in nursing homes for special occasions. She's currently sidelined with a broken leg.
HER ASSOCIATIONS - Vs. 38
She spoke of Jesus to those who were looking for His coming. In our old age, may our associations be with those who are looking for Jesus' Second Coming!
Sermon Seeds F9
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