The True Christmas Spirit

The True Christmas Spirit

Subject -The True Spirit of Christmas – Overcoming Fear

by Rick Welborne

1. The True Christmas Spirit is birthed from the Holy Spirit and overcomes fear.

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. 

Luke 1:30 (NIV) 

30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” 

–I believe Mary was really no different than you and I... she was troubled and she was afraid.

–When an angel from God says to not be afraid and tells you favor is coming your way...You can hear the message and overcome all anxiety.

–Please understand that this does not mean that she will not face more fears or even greater fears but what this does say is that God can handle it all for you! Each victory should build toward another. 

–Obviously none of us will be confronted by an angel and be told that we will give birth to the Son of God but we will be confronted by God to allow Christ to be born in us. And others.

–So what would a situation like this look like for us?  Good question.

–If you have ever wanted to see an example of the baptism of the Holy Spirit...this is it.

–As you seek Him...As He comes to birth something great in you (Christ)...Holy Spirit will come upon you...the power of God Himself will overshadow you.

–What comes out of you when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit...the Son of God. Not Fear!

2 Timothy 1:6‑7 (NKJV) 

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2. The True Christmas Spirit is a spirit of obedience and sacrifice not fear.

Matt 1:18‑25 (NKJV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

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.

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.   

Matt 1:18‑25 (NKJV)

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

A. Was it easy for God the Father to send His only Son to a cruel world?

B. Was it easy for Jesus to leave the majesty and honor of heaven and be robed in flesh?

C. Was it easy for a little teenage girl (Mary) to be pregnant out of wedlock?

D. Was it easy for her to hear the whispers behind her back as she carried Jesus?

E. Was it easy for her in a society of strict tradition to be a candidate for stoning?

F. Was it easy for her to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem while pregnant?

G. Was it easy for her to have her baby born in a cave (manger) instead of a room?

H. Was it easy for Joseph to find out the girl he was engaged to was pregnant?

I. Was it easy for him to endure the mistrust and ridicule for not putting her away?

J. Was it easy to process in his mind that his fiancée was carrying the Son of God? 

K. Was it easy to imagine how to raise this God child in a proper way?

L. Was it easy for Him to have to flee from Herod to save his son from death?

M. Was it easy for him to hear of all the children who died when his son was the target for death?

N. Was it easy for the wise men to come so far to see the King of the Jews?

O. Was it easy for the wise men to side track Herod in his plot to kill Jesus?

P. Was it easy for Mary to hear Simeon’s prophecy of her child and her eventual sorrow?

–There are always challenges that will strike fear into our hearts but as we trust Holy Spirit and:

Matt 1:24 (NKJV)

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

3. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of giving not the fear of holding back.

John 3:16 (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.  

A. God gave His Son.

B. The Son gave His life.

C. Mary gave up her reputation.

D. Joseph gave up his pride.

E. The shepherds gave their worship.

F. The wise men gave their time and their gifts.

G. What are we giving in comparison to these?

–Don’t be afraid to give and to bless the needy and poor...it leads to eternal life.

4. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of reconciliation not fear.

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. 

–This is so powerful...because we belong to Christ...everything is made new...the old unforgiving self is gone.

–God thru Christ has brought us back to Him...He has forgiven us and now we do not have to be afraid to forgive others...He wants us to bring them to Him.

--For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them...what a concept...no longer counting their sins against them.

–The Christmas message is a message of forgiveness...God forgiving us...and all of us forgiving each other.

Luke 19:10 (NKJV) 

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

–Don’t be afraid to forgive the unforgivable...that is what Jesus did for you...we appeal...We plead with them...Come back to God! Ministry of Reconciliation. 

–Jesus had never done anything to have to be forgiven for but was willing to be the offering (the forgiveness) for our sin...so we could be made right with God.

–What a wonderful Christmas gift.

5. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of joy not fear.

Heb 12:1‑2 (NKJV)

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

–Caution: about a Worldly holiday spirits. Greed, stress, anxiety, loneliness, hopelessness, depression, pride.

–Think about how Mary and Joseph laid aside the spirit of pride to be the parents of the Son of God.

–They laid aside the weight of what people think, of what would it look like, of what will people say, of what tradition said...because of the joy set before them

–As in every case of overcoming fear...we must look to that Christmas child...the author and finisher of our faith and imitate His model for us...

–When we are faced with fear...fix your eyes on Jesus and for the joy set before you endure...eventually you will also be at the throne of God.

–A good Christmas starts with Jesus, flows with Jesus, and finishes with Jesus.

–When we have the Christ of Christmas we can endure unto the end and can overcome our fears. Don’t be afraid, Mary...why?

Luke 1:35-38 (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. 

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.