Countdown to Christmas: LOVE

Countdown To Christmas : Love. “The Santa Clause”

John chapter 3 – Story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night…this historical account isn’t listed in our typical Christmas stories, but it is the overarching purpose of the Christmas story…

John 3:11-17, 11 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know [we know absolutely what we are talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our testimony [you reject and refuse our evidence — that of Myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit]. 12 If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven — the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],  [Num 21:9.] 15 In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. AMP

Countdown to Christmas…we have been covering the 4 Major themes of the Advent Season…

  • Hope
  • Peace
  • Joy
  • Today we will talk about Love

What if we reframed discipleship in light of Advent…what if Jesus was calling us to go on an Advent (ure) with Him and not just know facts about Him…

  • This word Adventure changes everything…
  • Instead of the Christian life being an accumulation of facts about God that we call Discipleship…it would be seen as an Adventure with and getting to know him…
  • When you go on a trip or adventure with anyone you really get to know them up close and personal.

So, let’s imagine Hope, Peace, Joy and Love were adventures to be discovered with God and not destination or simply emotions that help us be free from any anxiety or trouble.   

 

Christmas is all about Love…without Love…there is no Christmas. But Love doesn’t just give you feels…Love and Belief Transform.

  1. Transformation
    1. Now most people do not associate Christmas with Transformation…but that is the Purpose of Christmas…
    2. Jesus was Incarnational the Word became flesh…
      1. From the King of Glory…Into a Baby lying in a Manger
    3. We are also invited into this type of Incarnational Transformation…
      1. Where the word of God Transforms us…from the inside out…we focus so much on the outside/in but God focus’ on the inside/out…
      2. Eph 5:25-28

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ESV

Rom 12:1-2, 12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.(NLT)

Can we have a little fun today and you not judge me too harshly?

On the count of 3 everyone tell me your favorite Christmas Movie…

Now without a doubt my favorite movie at Christmas is “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Doesn’t get any better than that for me…matter of fact several years ago I did an entire Christmas Season series based on “It’s a Wonderful Life”

I want to take a few thoughts from another good Christmas movie…” The Santa Clause” staring Tim Allen.

  1. Transformation Begins with Belief
    1. Movie Clip of Scott reading the Santa Clause story to Charlie….
      1. Charlie asks Scott “You believe in Santa Clause, don’t you dad.”
      2. And Scott replies – “Well sure I do…” with no belief in his heart or in his head…Santa is a good idea to pacify Children or people with immature thinking…
  • Way too often this is the way we approach faith in Christ…
    1. If you ask someone, especially here in the South “Do you believe in Christ” they’ll often say…”Yes of course, I’m an American aren’t I?”
    2. The idea of Jesus coming in a manger is a good story for Children or for the Non-critical thinker…
  1. But their belief doesn’t transform them…it’s just a good idea…
  1. In the movie Scott is taken to the North Pole and encounters this elf named Judy who drops some real knowledge on Scott – “Seeing isn’t believing, but Believing is Seeing…”
    1. How often have we said…”If I saw (fill in the blank) I’d believe…”
    2. Yet like the people of the bible who saw… and still didn’t believe…we see miracles everyday…and don’t believe…
  • Jesus told Thomas after the resurrection…
    “Thomas you believed because you have seen…but those who believe and have not seen, they will be more blessed…”
  1. Nicodemus said, “we know the things you do, only a person who has come from God could do these things…” but Nicodemus still struggled to wrap his mind around the idea of Salvation and Belief…and that “because God so loved the world He sent…”
  • Belief to Living
    1. Scott begins to travel down the road where His belief has to mean something…in other words he is faced with the decision…does my belief impact the way I live….
    2. Movie Clip of Bernard and Scott at the North Pole….
      1. “What if I choose not to believe…”
      2. Scott is faced with the question…what does my belief mean…earlier in our first clip Scott said, “Of course I believe in Santa…but when faced with having to become Santa…now he isn’t sure “What He Truly Believes…”
    3. It’s one thing to say we believe, and another to live like we Believe…
      1. Belief has to mean something…
      2. Love has to mean something…see so many people believe in Love…but 1 Cor.13 says “Love must be put on display…”
  • So, likewise, belief must be displayed….and it is displayed through Transformation…

Transition:  Transformation takes time…that’s why Romans says to begin by “renewing your minds…” because the Mind is the epicenter of Belief…

  1. Our Belief, Our Love, Our Transformation
    1. Our Belief, Our Love…the way we show it or withhold it, our transformation…will have a direct impact on Others…
    2. Movie Clip of Scott’s ex-wife and others believing in Scott’s transformation…
      1. Scott’s transformation, transformed his relationship with
        1. His son -Charlie
        2. His Ex-wife
        3. His ex-wife’s husband
        4. His transformation ultimately transformed the way he saw himself….
      2. Wouldn’t it be amazing if people came up to us and said…” you really are a Christian…” that is so much better than being Santa Clause…!
  • The writer of the book of Peter said, “Be ready to give an answer when people come up and ask ‘what is the hope you have as a believer…”’
  1. I do not have the time to tell you all the stories I have heard from people in this Church who have come to me and told me “Pastor people have seen a change in my life and are beginning to ask me questions about what I believe about Jesus…”
  2. As a Pastor that is some of the greatest testimonies I could ever hear…
  1. Closing
    1. Movie Clip of Scott Putting on the Suit…
      1. If you see the Movie over time Scott becomes Santa Clause…
      2. But it was a “Transformational Process” it didn’t happen overnight…
  • It began with his own Believing…not believing in an idea…but believing in something and someone bigger than himself….
  1. He begins to believe in the Power of Love, hope and Generosity…and it transforms him…
  1. Gal 3:27

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ

ESV

  1. See we have to put on Christ…our belief means something transformational
  2. To Put on Christ means
    1. We take on his interests…in other words what interests Jesus, now interests us…
    2. We begin to copy his manners…
    3. Like Scott did in the movie by taken on the person of Santa Clause…we who have received Christ and have been Baptized…now begin to assume the person, the thoughts, and character of Jesus.
  3. Closing
    1. Have you believed in Christ enough to put on the Suit…or is Jesus in a manger good enough for you?

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