Three Great Gifts of Christmas

Just so you know, that just because you double dog dare me to do something, does not mean that I will do it. If I want to, I will. Karen Wheeler double dog dared me to play the best non-traditional Christmas song for you this morning and that is what we are going to do.

This song, “Dominick the Donkey” is funny. I heard it about 10 years ago and every time I hear it, it puts a smile on my face. So, let’s play it now.

I remember years ago, Wayne Johnson was filling in as our interim pastor and he showed up in overalls, a funky colored shirt, a big yellow tie and a goofy hat. He talked about how we are called to be peculiar people. Deut. 14:2. I think we need to take that a step farther; I mean we are to be set a part, but we also need to make connections with people that are different than us. People that we might consider to be peculiar. Brother Hendrix said, “Sometimes, we, Christians get so heavenly minded, that we are no earthly good.” We get so focused on what is “right” that we fail to connect with those that God is trying to reach.

Sometimes we need to just get over ourselves, so that we can go and make disciples. Let’s get back on topic and read our main text found in Luke 2: 8-10 normally I read from the New Living Translation, but this morning at least for the main text, we will read the NIV.

This is our 3rd week looking at the different aspects of the Christmas story and this is our 2nd week using Luke 2. Who knows, maybe we will still be talking about it on the 29th. Next week is the children’s program. I don’t know what God might have in store, but we always need to be obedient to God speaking to us.

In the Bible study, “Experiencing God”, it says that “God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, Prayer, circumstances and the church.” Let’s see what we can find in God’s word that we read just a bit ago.

God gives the best gifts and one of them is point 1.

1. The Church.

Luke 2:16-19, I Peter 4:8-9

For those of you that really know me, you know that this is true, for those of you that don’t know me, you are about to find out one of the things that I don’t normally like to do. I do not like to be the middle man, a go between, the carrier pigeon. Now, I don’t care to be in a room with 2 people having a conversation and adding my intellectual brilliance to the mix, but I do not like the whole ask so and so this and let me know what they say.

That is a never-ending situation. Because, tell them this, they said, this, tell them this, they said this and back and forth and back and forth and I am just going to tell you, it is exhausting. If someone wants to communicate with someone, just talk to them. Too much can get lost in translation, in body language, my interpretation of what is being said from both parties. Direct communication is better.

There are times that I don’t mind to be the middle man. Would you be able to take this to so and so. I know they are struggling and I want to help, but I don’t want credit. If I give you the money, would you buy this or pay for that for this person that is down on their luck.

Getting to help be a blessing to someone is awesome, having to be the telegram service is not. When people receive a gift or a blessing, many things can happen. They want to know who it is from. They want to turn it down. They will receive it and want to pay it back. Or they will just receive it. I just have a piece of advice. If someone wants to bless you, let them.

Mary had to be feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Maybe even a little let down because she was willing to be used by God to give birth to Jesus and she ends up having to leave her home to go to another city to be a part of a census. She doesn’t get to be in a typical place to give birth, but rather she is put in an animal shed.

Then the shepherds show up and told everyone everything the angels told them and Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The gift of the Church. We are here to help encourage each other. That’s one gift. Another gift is point #2.

2. Joy of many kinds.

Luke 2:10, Galatians 5:22-23, I Peter 1:8, John 10:10-11

Monday, I was able to go to Silver Dollar City and we are able to go to a couple of shows. One of the shows was called, “Coming Home for Christmas.” It was very good. They sang a lot of songs I knew and some songs that I didn’t know. They danced and danced and oh boy. Not a big fan of musicals, but let me tell you it was a blessing.

We also were able to see “Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol”, it was a musical with acting thrown in. Did I mention that I am not a fan of musicals, but the story is awesome. Probably my most favorite of all.

Scrooge was probably the worst person in the world to be around. But on Christmas day, he sends a turkey to Bob Cratchit’s house. He gives Bob a raise and helps Bob’s family. Scrooge also donated a large sum of money to a charity and shows up at his Nephew Fred’s house for dinner. People in the story were filled with joy because of the different ways that Scrooge blessed them.

I can list many ways that God brings joy. Joy comes through great stories like that. Joy comes when I am able to be that middle man in giving a blessing from one person to another. Joy comes when I get to be a part of a baptism. When I get to watch a baptism. I have joy because we are debt free. Because our roof doesn’t leak in the breezeway. Joy because we have a nice bus that is paid for and has made trips to Florida, St. Louis, Branson and is going to be taking more trips in the future.

So many ways that we can have Joy. How about when things are not going our way? When we are facing the storms of life? Do we think about the joy in that? James says in the 1 chapter, to “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.” Even though we don’t like it, we can still find joy.

We confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is a fleeting emotion. Joy is a choice. In my office there is a sign behind my desk that says, “Today, I Choose Joy.” Joy is all around us if we just look.

So, from our scriptures today, we have learned that God gave the gift of the Church, the gift of Joy and point 3 tells us that God gave us the gift of…

3. The Savior.

Luke 2:11, Romans 6:23, John 11:25

I have told you that I really enjoy Christmas music, but I also love the Christmas movies. Some of them are really good hearted like Elf, The Santa Claus and the Grinch, some are a little more action packed like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard and some you just think Why? Like Edward Scissorhands, Gremlins and Bad Santa.

Whatever it takes to get you in the Christmas spirit, music, movies, lights whatever.

If you don’t know it, probably my favorite Christmas movie of all time and I watch it every year, is Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Being a “Scrooge” has such a bad meaning to it. You’re cheap, hateful, bitter, greedy and those are not even the worst characteristics. But when you look at the movie as a whole, Mr. Scrooge changed his life and became giving, helpful, cheerful, loving, kind and considerate.

And that is the real reason that movie is so popular, the change in Ebenezer Scrooge. If you dig deep into the movie, you might just find some comparisons between who we were before we were Christians and who we should be after the transformation. Dickens wrote a Christmas Carol in about 6 weeks and that has lived for generations. A story of an evil man that is visited by 3 spirits, which could easily be compared to the Holy Trinity. God the Father, God that Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Listening to what the Spirits (God) tells us and make that change in our lives to avoid a dismal, horrible end, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But that is something that can be avoided but accepting the greatest gift of all that God provided for us in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior.

In the story, Scrooge not only was sorry for who he was, but he promised to be a good person. “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.”

2 Scriptures I want to leave you with, Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! John 15:5-6 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

Let God produce fruit in you.