Mary Christmas

Subject: Experiencing Christmas Like Mary

by Rick Welborne

Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)
²⁶  In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
²⁷  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
²⁸  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
²⁹  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
³⁰  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
³¹  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
³²  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
³³  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
³⁴  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
³⁵  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God."
³⁸  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 

1. To have a Mary Christmas, determine to live a pure life.

Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)
²⁶  In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
²⁷  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
²⁸  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 

--Many non-Catholics feel that the Catholic church puts way too much emphasis on Mary and may attribute to her too much power and authority.

--I understand their concern and I understand that there is only One Savior and that is Jesus Christ our Lord but I also believe we should give honor where honor is due.

--She was highly favored for a couple of reasons at least…The Lord was with her and she was a virgin…don’t miss the significance of God using her because she was pure and because of His presence.

--Because it is Christmas and because we have little ears with us I want to be very careful what I say but parents be careful to guard your children from the temptation of losing their purity too young.

--Because relationships are progressive in nature…the longer you wait and the longer they wait to get involved in dating and relationships…the safer they will be…I know what worldly guys are like…I was one!

2. To have a Mary Christmas, determine to have the same purpose she had.

Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)
³⁰  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
³¹  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
³²  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
³³  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

--What we want in our lives and what we want coming out of our lives should be the same as Mary’s, the Lord Jesus Christ.

--What or maybe who do people see when they look at us?  Is there any trace that Jesus lives inside of us and is there any lifestyle coming from us that resembles the Son of God?  Do they see Jesus?

--Our purpose is to shine for Him not for us.

Matthew 5:16 (NCV)
¹⁶  In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

3. To have a Mary Christmas, determine to not allow the puzzles in your life to stop God’s plan.

Luke 1:34 (NIV)
³⁴  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 

--The sooner we figure out that we do not have everything figured out…the better off we will be. Our lives seem to be complicated puzzles but Jesus is the One Who can put it all together.

--Like Mary, obedience was her part and the details were God’s part.

4. To have a Mary Christmas, determine to experience God’s power.

Luke 1:35 (NIV)
³⁵  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

--Now we are talking about Christmas as far as I am concerned…here is the answer to how, the answer to what, and the answer to who.

--How was Mary going to bring forth this God child…Holy Spirit will come upon you!

--What was God thinking when He chose Mary to bring forth Immanuel…God with us…Holy Spirit will come upon you!

--Who was God going to bring forth out of her life…Jesus!  Holy Spirit will come upon you!

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

5. To have a Mary Christmas, determine to see the possibilities.

Luke 1:36-37 (NIV)
³⁶  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God."

--How can the impossible become possible and how can we have a Mary Christmas?

A. Determine to live pure. 

--Too late, Preacher, I have already messed up.  Run to Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
²¹  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

B. Determine that everything you do will be for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)
³¹  Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

C. Determine to let God be in control instead of you.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
²⁸  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

D. Determine to allow Holy Spirit to come upon you.

Ephesians 5:17-18 (NIV)
¹⁷  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
¹⁸  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

E. Determine that impossible will not be part of your vocabulary.

Luke 18:27 (NKJV)
²⁷  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

The Key:

Luke 1:38 (NIV)
³⁸  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Christmas 2016

Subject - God News for All of Us

by Rick Welborne

Luke 2:814 (NKJV) 

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–The message to the shepherds--"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

–Whatever you are facing - do not be afraid - the message was to all people...you and me.

–We all face adversity and many of us are facing it right now...different areas but all of us are facing problems and challenges.

–Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays have a way of bringing out a pain, our family dysfunction, or wounds that have been there for years.

–Verse 14 gives us a goal, a vision, and even a plan for our lives all because Jesus has come...Because He is Immanuel - God with us. 

–The point of this message is to hopefully show us that when Jesus comes...He makes a difference in our vertical relationship and our horizontal relationships. 

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–Today let’s look at this verse and see what God is saying to us:

1. The God news is that Jesus wants us to have goodwill toward men.

–In other words we should be desiring good toward those we are around the most. Our family...our friends...our church.

–It is easy for us as ministers (all of us) to want goodwill for those in the universal church, the community, and even in the world but it can become difficult for us to want good for those closest to us.

–Our ultimate test is not how we treat and feel about those who are outside our families but how we treat our families and those closest to us.

–We should want good for our spouses and our families...God has convinced me of this and how I speak to and of my wife is so important.

–We men love these verses is Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:2224 (NIV) 

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 

23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 

–I have seen macho men strongly insist that their “women” submit to them...it is the Bible!

–I agree that women should submit to their husbands as to the Lord but that does not mean God has given you an in house slave to meet your every whim. It works both ways:

Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) 

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

–Oops! I guess we overlooked that passage...we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ! Wow! There is more!

Ephesians 5:2531 (NIV) 

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 

27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 

28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 

29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church 

30 for we are members of his body. 

31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 

–Listen, Men, these verses have ouch written all over them...love her, love her like Christ loved the church, give yourself for her, help make her holy, love her like you love your own body, feed her, care for her, and be one with your her...no one else.

–A big part of the Christmas story is goodwill toward people..toward our families, toward our spouses...that is exemplified in what we say to them and what we say about them.

–Life and death are in the power of the tongue...I must speak life...as Christians we all should...we are the example and we reap what we sow. These two verses together:

Proverbs 18:2122 (NIV) 

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 

22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. 

2. The God news is that Jesus wants us to have peace on earth.

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–Our goal should be peace for Israel and the middle east but also for our own families and our church.

Philippians 4:48 (NIV) 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things. 

–Let your gentleness be evident to all...the Lord is near...He is watching. The fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:2223 (NIV) 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23 gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law. 

–Look how all this fruit could help our marriages and families and our church. Don’t say you are Spirit filled and you do not exemplify this fruit to your spouses.

–Jesus...Immanuel...came to bring peace on earth but also peace to our families:

Philippians 4:7 (NIV) 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

–Verse 8 gives us the “how to” in our families...we think about these things and we say this:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things. 

–The God news is that Jesus came to bring goodwill toward men and women but He also came to bring peace on earth.

–There is nothing more powerful on earth than a church that is led by Jesus, whose families are committed to Him and to one another...what goodwill and peace we can offer to a lost world...We can help put the Merry back in Christmas!!!

3. The God news is that we should be giving glory to God in the highest - live for the glory of God!

1 Corinthians 10:3133 (NLT) 

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 

33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 

–Do everything...everything...for the glory of God...how you love your spouses, your families, your church, the world!!!

–Verse 32...Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles...be gentle with your families. Don’t live in an offensive manner.

–Some of us need to stop being ourselves and start living as though Christ is in us...the hope of...listen to it...the hope of glory!!!

–What an event for these shepherds...the appearance of the angels and the announcement of Christ...wow! How awesome it would have been to be there...

Luke 2:811 (NKJV) 

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

–These shepherds were able to see and experience the awesome glory of God and they could not wait to go and share what they had experienced.

Luke 2:1518 (NIV) 

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 

18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

–They spread the word about the glory of God (Jesus Christ)...shouldn’t we do the same.

–In such a messed up world shouldn’t we be sharing the God news...showing the world the goodwill we have toward our own families and everyone around us.

–Shouldn’t we be sharing the God news about peace that passes all understanding that starts with our families and spreads to the whole world (Missions).

–Wow, these shepherds had the privilege of experiencing the announcement of the birth of the Son of God...Immanuel...God with us...Jesus Christ and then to see Him in the manger.

–Again what about us...wouldn’t it be great for us to see the glory of God...maybe we will experience the God news of Jesus’ coming!

1 Thessalonians 4:1617 (NIV) 

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

–Get ready for the glory of God again to show up...

Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV) 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT) 

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

A Gift Worth Sharing

Subject:  The Gift of the Father

by Rick Welborne

John 3:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
¹⁸  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

--To say that we are spoiled here in the US is the understatement of the century…we have so much but we want so much more.

--I am often amazed at the genius of marketers who keep reeling us in with the latest and greatest products and we blindly follow as if we have no control.

--Just look at the idea of cell phones and how that has taken the world by storm…maybe you can’t pay your rent, or fix your car, or pay your other bills but you definitely have the latest cell phone in your hand.

--We are so addicted to them that we cannot put them down even when we are driving. That text has got to be responded to now…that email or tweet is so important that we risk our lives and everyone else around us.

--When I was a teen-ager a cell phone was the phone right outside your jail cell that you got to make that one so important phone call. Can’t make it to work because I am not feeling so well.

--I remember when the first car phones came out and they were humongous but how cool did a person look sitting at the red light talking on the phone…we bought our kids a fake phone. I took it with me on the road!

--When I would pull up by someone in my fancy Honda Civic at a light I would pull out the boy’s phone and pretend to be talking…I was cool.  You could press buttons and it would say something important…what’s up! 

--They get us now by making us feel like dirt if we do not have the latest, greatest smart phone out there…oh you only have the I-phone 6s…I just got the 7 and it will even wash my car…you have to have it. We want it!

--Today I hope we will take a deep breath and truly recognize what the greatest gifts are…let us look at the gift of the Father.

1. The gift of the Father is, of course, salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ His Son.

--I truly get so baffled when people go thru a tough time and they question the love of the Father…He did not just give us a good gift or even a great gift…He gave His very best.

John 3:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
¹⁸  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

--I hope you know you have a pastor who loves you very much but as much as I love you…I would not give any of my children for any of you. I would hope that I would be willing to lay down my life for you but my kids?

--I know some of you are thinking…it would be determined by what day it is and how our children are acting.

--The love of the Father is not based on feelings and emotions that can shift like the changing winds…His love is perfect and the gift of the Father is without compare.

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)
¹  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
²  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
³  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 

--Before you question the love of God consider a Father Who loves you so much that He would allow His Son to become flesh, come to earth, to be insulted, to be arrested without cause, to humiliate Him, to beat Him, and to nail Him to a cross, to mock Him as He was taking His last breath…

--My word for you who are going thru a tough time, don’t blame God or get bitter toward God, but embrace Him and trust Him that He will get you thru.

Romans 8:31-32 (NIV)
³¹  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
³²  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

2. The gift of the Father is a gift we must share.

Luke 12:48 (NKJV)
⁴⁸  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. 

--The context of this verse is of a steward who has been given responsible to do what his master has told him to do…the more given to him the greater the responsibility.

--Stay with me, The Father has given us His greatest gift Jesus…now we have a responsibility to share this gift with others.

--Do you suppose that there are thousands of people out there who need to hear that God loved us so much that 

He let His Son die and For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

--If you had an abusive father, an absentee father, maybe a father who did not walk the walk, you need a Father Who will never leave you or forsake you.

--Some struggle with the concept of a loving Father, but like in my case, when I heard that God the Father loved me so much He gave His greatest gift…His Son.

--Let me throw in here, fathers, please do not use the excuse for you not being a good father on how you were raised…My father would beat us, beat our mom, encourage us to sin, and would blaspheme God.

--God’s gift…the gift of the Father is so transforming that He can change you and help you to be the father He intended on you being.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NLT)
¹⁷  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
¹⁸  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
¹⁹  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
²⁰  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
²¹  For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

--Listen to me…the gift of the Father was so great and so life changing that I wanted my father to have it to… He gave us the task of reconciling people, parents, prodigals to Him.

--When my father received Christ, oh my goodness, you talk about a new creation, a new life…Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving.

3. The gift of the Father or the IPhone7S.

--Let’s say you had a choice for Christmas this year…be closer to the Father than ever before or get an IPhone 7S…what would you choose?

--If I received the IPhone I would feel so powerful…If you have the gift of the Father…Omnipotent.

--If I received the IPhone I would have constant info at my bidding…If you have the gift of the Father…Omniscient. 

--If I received the IPhone where I could go on my phone would be unlimited…If you had the gift of the Father…Omni-present.

--Let me suggest a couple of things for you this Christmas…first, be thankful for the gift of the Father, Jesus Christ, and secondly realize He is a gift worth sharing…

--How awesome would it be to lead someone to Christ this month and have them celebrate Christmas as a transformed person?

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)
¹⁹  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 

²⁰  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.