Welcome – 7

Welcome – 7

Subject – Why We Welcome Christmas

By Rick Welborne

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT2)
²⁶  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
²⁷  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
²⁸  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
²⁹  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
³⁰  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
³¹  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
³²  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
³³  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
³⁴  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
³⁵  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God.”
³⁸  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 

--Growing up, Christmas was not a real time of celebration. We were not Christians, so Christmas was a time of more stress around our house.

--We lived down a dirt road in an 800 square foot tenant shack where the slaves previously lived. It was behind the plantation house; to be honest we didn’t know how poor we were.

--Don’t misunderstand me, we always had plenty of food to eat because the plantation owner let us use his barn and his acreage (3) for growing vegetables. We sold to Piggly Wiggly.

--We raised our own hogs and had them butchered every so often so we had plenty of meat. My sister would get attached to the hogs so she was traumatized when they were killed.

--I took get sport is making pig sounds at the table that only she could hear. She would leave the table crying so I would get her pet for dinner. I’m glad she didn’t squeal on me.

--I was the youngest so my gifts were not up to the standard that my older siblings had. When I was seven my dad went to the junk yard and got me an old bike. Fender fell, so did I.

--We finally became extremely wealthy and moved into a $6800 house with a paved road out front. The Welbornes had finally arrived. 

--Anyone remember when it was cool to wear bracelets with your name on them. So cool! One Christmas my brothers got the cool ones. I got the girly sissy one. Humiliating.

--Christmas became a time of sadness for me and got to the point that I dreaded it each year. As believers we should not dread Christmas but learn to welcome it.

--I understand the stress of getting and giving gifts and the stress of having family in for the holidays. Just maybe there is tension in the house. Just a little.

--Let’s look at why we welcome Christmas and what it can teach us about our relationship with Jesus.

1. Welcoming Christmas Teaches Us Obedience.

Luke 1:27 (NLT2)
²⁷ …a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

--Mary was a blessed and very happy girl. Life was treating her well. She was engaged but not just to anyone. She was engaged to Joseph, a descendant of King David. A Jewish girl’s dream.

--When an angel shows up and tells you that you are walking in God’s favor and that the Lord is with you, it must have been encouraging but also confusing. What could this mean?

--I wish I could have a visitation from an angel. Maybe you can. If you live a virtuous life, if you are walking in the favor of God, if you are making Godly choices (Joseph), if you walk in His presence.

--The angel tells her, if you walk in obedience to your assignment that you are receiving, something (actually someone) will be born in your life named Jesus.

--Many of us want the promise but not the pain, we want the comfort but not the cross, we want the blessings but not the burial. Obedience comes at a cost.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT2)
²⁴  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.
²⁵  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

--Mary could have been selfish and said no. Her life was laid out and being pregnant out of wedlock with someone other than Joseph meant shame and humiliation. 

--Her obedience to God meant that she would be misunderstood, her plans would be disrupted, and even Joseph would not believe the incredible story she was telling. Obedience hurts.

Matthew 1:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

--He, too, had to have a visitation from an angel in a dream to let him know what was happening to Mary was of Holy Spirit and he had to make the choice of obedience.

--Joseph, by the way, you cannot have sexual relations with Mary until after Jesus is born. Wait a minute! Obedience to God means sacrifice and waiting on God’s timing.

--Mary asks the question; how can this happen? Maybe you are asking the same question in your life as you believe for a miracle from God. The answer is still the same.

Luke 1:34-37 (NLT2) ³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
³⁵  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God.” 

--I keep telling you how important it is to be baptized in Holy Spirit power and I believe Mary’s experience is such an example of what happens to us when we are.

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

--When Holy Spirit comes upon you the miracle will happen and what comes out of your life will be Jesus. Why? For nothing is impossible with God!

--We welcome Christmas because it teaches us beautiful obedience and submission to God.

Luke 1:38 (NLT2) ³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

2. Welcoming Christmas Teaches Us Worship and Giving.

Matthew 2:1-3 & 9-11 (NLT2)
¹  Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
²  “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
³  King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
⁹  After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
¹⁰  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
¹¹  They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

--The wise men came for the purpose of worshiping Jesus. Christmas should teach us about worshiping Jesus with all of our hearts.

--The shepherds in the fields, Anna and Simeon in the temple waiting on the Messiah, and the wise men teach us that as we look forward to Christmas or just come to church, we should worship.

Revelation 4:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

--Christmas has become all about parties (eating), programs, musicals, practices, presents, trees, lights, decorations, and gatherings at home and at church. That’s ok.

--Our main purpose should be to worship Jesus with all of our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Christmas should be welcomed as an opportunity to worship and to give.

Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

--We welcome Christmas as a time to open our treasures and present to Jesus and His House the resources He has blessed us with.

--I believe it is good to bless family and friends at Christmas and it is a beautiful expression of love to each other. But don’t forget Jesus.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) ¹⁹ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.