"Christmas Is..."

Not really part of lesson but what do y’all think was the first Christmas gift?

How do you explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well the best way I know is this:
"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." John 3:16

No one could outdo what God has done. No one could give a greater gift than God has already given. Let us consider the meaning of Christmas this morning - what it should mean to each and every one of us assembled here today.

Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is-
-a time of shopping and spending
-a time of drinking and carousing
-a time of traveling and entertaining

But, what is the real meaning of Christmas? What message should it convey to every one of us?

To Believers, Christmas is...

I. A TIME OF REMEMBERING
-remembering the great love that God had for each and every one of us. He loved us so much that He sent and gave His only Son that we might be saved.
-remembering the uniqueness of
His life
His teachings
His miracles
His prophesies
His death
His resurrection
-remembering all those humble but great people surrounding the Christmas story. People like Joseph & Mary, Zacharias & Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the wise men, etc.

II. Secondly, Christmas is...
A TIME OF LOVING

People make a special effort to be a little kinder, a little more considerate of others, and a little more generous during the Christmas season. They get involved in such things as Christmas caroling, toys for the needy, meals for the misfortunate, etc.

It is a time for reaching out to others with love and concern.

For God so loved the world – let us never forget that!!! In all of our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, etc. let us always remember that the motivation for all this is the love of God for lost sinners. He really cares about us. So we should care as He cares. So we should love, as He loves.

Just a side note: As I was working on this lesson, I took a Facebook “break and on the side someone “liked” a comment on the sidebar called “ticker”, by a person I don’t know and shall remain nameless. The comment was: “Wal-Mart always reminds me that I sit near the top of the gene pool.” Now what kind of love is that showing toward those that are not always people like us? And being a fan at Wal-Mart, I know that there are folks who are not "like us", but does that make us better? Who knows but maybe this person saw me in my worn, faded and torn jeans, t-shirt, “tractor cap” and work boots. Who knows exactly what triggered the comment but I don’t think it was very Christ-like. To quote Tiffany – just sayin’.

III. A TIME OF GIVING

For God so loved the world, that He gave...
Love cannot look with indifference on the hungry, and the sick, and the lonely, lost souls of this world. Love must give.

God gave all He could give. He gave His only begotten Son, or as other versions translates, His one and only son. This gift was freely given, lovingly given, graciously given to all of us, who were undeserving sinners.

Christ shared our human nature that we might receive His divine nature. Day by day, those who truly receive Him are being transformed into His image, until we all come into the full stature of the perfected children of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb.

IV. A TIME OF FORGIVING

God was willing to forgive us. He was willing to show mercy to a sinful, lost, and dying world. Do we possess His forgiving spirit? Or, is our spirit a judgmental one, one that looks down upon others? Is there someone we need to forgive today?

V. A TIME OF RESCUING

God rescued us by His love and mercy. He saved us from perishing. Jesus said “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”Without Christ we are without life, and headed for an eternity without God - forever separated from the God who made us and longs to save us. But with Christ we “have everlasting life."

He wants us to inherit eternal life. We are all descendents of a dying race. But for the grace of God, we would all likewise perish.

VI. A TIME OF CHANGING

The Christ of Christmas changes us. He makes us a new person (“anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17). All things become new for us. We have new goals, new ideas, new direction, new hope. Christ changes people for the better.

VII. A TIME OF REJOICING

-rejoicing in God’s unmerited grace
-rejoicing in the release of forgiveness
-rejoicing in a new life with a new mission

This lesson is an attempt to share with you this morning what Christmas should mean to us as Believers. What does the coming of Christ into this world really mean to you?