Subject – Christmas is Real
by Rick Welborne
--Christmas is real…for most of us that statement is ridiculous because we know Christmas is real but if you have not been raised in church, that may not be so obvious to you.
--I can remember being over at my uncle Ed and aunt Naomi’s house hanging out with my cousins and listening to them talk about the Christmas story. Keep in mind this B.C. for me…Before Christ!
--I laughed so hard when they made a statement that I found to be the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard… they said that Jesus was born of a virgin by the name of Mary. I said to them, that is not possible!
--I even began to mock the thought that sweet little Mary could possibly be expecting a child without the help of her fiancé, or worse, someone else…no wonder he wanted to put her away…who wouldn’t. I laughed.
--My cousins emphatically told me that the story of the birth of Jesus by the virgin Mary was in the Bible…in the Word of God. So, of course, I told them to show me, and they did. Hmmm!
--We were not Christians but my parents had taught us to respect certain things in our country…respect the flag, the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and the Bible. We had that giant unread Bible on the coffee table…dusty!
--Because they showed me these verses I decided this Christmas story must be real:
Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
--My sweet wife who has been teaching in the public school system for going on her 37th year told me a couple days ago that she just read the Biblical story of Christmas to her first graders.
--She said that about 90% of the kids admitted to her that was the first time they had ever heard the story about Jesus being born as a baby and coming to save us from our sins…how sad!
--We, the Church, have to realize that Christmas is real because Jesus is real and we must make a choice of what we do with Him.
Colossians 2:17 (NIV)
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
--Let me give you the Rickanesian version of what this verse is saying…The real is found in Christ. What you are looking for is found in Jesus Christ.
1. The real is found in Christ so we must believe in the incarnation.
Incarnation – This is God becoming flesh and being born as Jesus Christ, the One and Only Son of God!
--Listen to what John says about this:
1 John 4:1-2 (NIV)
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
--He was saying the real is found in Christ because God came as a baby in a manger…Immanuel…God with us!
2. The real is found in Christ because we believe in His wonderful miraculous virgin birth.
--Listen to the prophecy about Jesus hundreds of years before He was born:
Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
--Gabriel visits the virgin Mary…listen to their conversation:
Luke 1:30-38 (NKJV)
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
3. The real is found with Christ because He came to us to set us free from our sins.
Matthew 1:20-21 (NCV)
20 While Joseph thought about these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the baby in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
20 While Joseph thought about these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the baby in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
--The real is found in Christ because Jesus was born to die…Jesus came to seek and to save the lost…you and me…He was arrested, had a mock trial, was tortured, was beaten, and then nailed to a tree where He died.
--This is where it really gets real for you and me…they did not take Jesus’ life…He laid it down. Jesus:
John 10:17-18 (NIV)
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
--The real is found in Christ because He can take up His life again…what’s that? He gave His life but then He was raised from the dead. We call that His resurrection.
--Christmas is real…Jesus is real…your choice today is real. You can stay in your sins and be lost or you can recognize His incarnation, His virgin birth, and realize Jesus came to earth to save you and me.
--I shared the other day with our people about when we were children…Wake up, the gifts are under the tree! Jesus is making it real for you today…Wake up the gifts are under the tree!
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NCV)
18 The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
18 The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
--Paul was saying Christmas is real, Jesus is real…wake up the gifts are under the tree…the cross!
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