Christmas, What's the Point?

Luke 2:10  (NKJV)

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

Behold means to look and understand what you're seeing.   

Don't miss the point of Christmas.  

Do we give Jesus a bit part of our lives?    

Are we afraid for Him to see us as we really are?

We have to release ourselves to Jesus.

Jesus is trying to hug us, but we're acting like none huggers and stiff arming Him.

We've got to get our lives untangled.  

We've got to admit to God that we need help, and let Him help. 

One out of eleven Americans have shoplifted during the past 12 months.

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

You have to let go of yourself to Jesus for Him to save you.  

You can't keep any area of your life if He's going to help.

Everything in our lives may be organized, but unless we're connected to Jesus there is no power.   

Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)

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.”

People are more lonely than they've ever been.  

Did you know that Immanuel (Jesus) means that God can know be with us?

Isn't that the point of Christmas?

You don't have to be alone anymore.  

The Bible is messages of God's love for you, but that wasn't enough, He came personally. 

Luke 2:10  (NKJV)

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

You can go to heaven if you want to.  

This message is for you personally.   

It is a message of great joy.  

You don't have to be alone again.  

If you accept Jesus as Lord, He will save you.  

Give Him your past, and He'll take you on an eternal journey.

Lord Jesus, please forgive my past.  Be my Lord and Savior.      

Jeremy Foster, Hope City Church

https://hopecity.com/sermons/2777/

Undivided Loyalty

James 1:2-8 (NLT)

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 

3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 

4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 

6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 

7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

There is power in undivided loyalty. We have  loyalty to a car brand.  We have a sports team loyalty.  None of these should be more than our loyalty to God and our worship of Him.

God is not disloyal to us when our prayers are not answered the way that we think He should.  God is for us even when our circumstances are not.  We must be loyal to God for who He is and not in our circumstances.

1.  Undivided loyalty looks deeper than the surface.  

Matthew 22:35-37  (NLT)

35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 

39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

We are to have undivided loyalty to Jesus, and to people.   We cannot connect our circumstances to our loyalty to God.  Rain may be good to the farmer, but the same rain might ruin someone else's wedding.  

(If you're in an abusive relationship, use wisdom and get help).  

2. Undivided loyalty loves regardless of the benefits. 

Romans 12:9-10  (NLT)

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 15:7 (NLT)

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

We want to love God because He loves us.  We don't require a benefit from God for our love. He has already loved us and given His Son, Jesus, for us. 

1 John 4:9 (NKJV)

9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

3. Undivided loyalty lives beyond myself.   Jesus left heaven for me.  

Romans 12:11-13 (NLT)

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 

13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Jesus went through the worst, so we can experience God's best.  Our goal is to help others experience God's best, which is His Son.

John 15:13 (NLT)

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (which Jesus did for you).

4.  Undivided loyalty lasts to the end. 

Circumstance might not change, but you can.

  

Hebrews 10:23-25  (NLT)

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Will you say yes to Jesus?   He is already said yes to you if you'll have him.  

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

20 Behold, I (Jesus)  stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Layne Schranz, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/undivided-loyalty

How to make true friends

I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone.   

It's not.  

The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel like you're all alone.  Robin Williams

Our culture is slowly becoming an emotional desert.  We may be surrounded with people; however, we feel like no ones knows us.  Our digital connections do not truly connect us with people.

As we look at our New Year's resolutions, we should be looking for deeper connections.  God did not create us to be disconnected.  God made us to know Him and each other.  

Matthew 22:37-39  (NIV)

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 

39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The essence of life is this connection. 

John 13:34-35  (NIV)

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I (Jesus) have loved you, so you must love one another. 

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The defining mark of a Christian is our connection to God and with each other.  The measurement of that connection is Jesus Christ Himself. 

We can have a 5 star connection with God and each other, but it's going to cost you. 

Here are the 5 stars of quality relationships.  This is what it's going to cost you.

  

1. Consistent time with God and other believers.  

Anything done without consistency is ineffective. You have to say no to a lot of things even to yourself to have consistent time with God. 

Jesus choose 12 believers to connect with.  Then, He choose Peter, James, and John to connect with even deeper.

2.  Quality time. We need to have quality time with God and other believers.  

Acts 2:44-46 (NIV)

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 

What we put into something.  We get out of it.  Don't we say that we spend our time. What are you buying with your time and what is your time buying for you? 

3.  Will you trust God and other trustworthy believers, and can you be trusted by them?   

Independence breaks the connection.  What we need is interdependent not independence.  Paul said it like this.  

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

God will give you more than you can handle because God never intended for you to handle it along.

  

There is a risk to trusts.  We've all been burned, but we must learn to trust the right people again.

4.  We must share our lives authentically with others.   

We must share our emotions.  Didn't Jesus ask His friends to pray for Him before the cross?

We can have a one dimensional relationship with others.  Like when we share only work.  Then, we can have relationships that we can trust in all areas of our lives.    

Acts 4:32 (NIV)

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

5. We must have faith in God and with trustworthy people of faith.  

When Adam and Eve sinned, we lost our connection to God and others.    Jesus restores that connection.  

1 John 1:7 (NIV)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Think through the 5 stars.  Do you have a 5 star relationship with God?   Do you have a 5 star relationship with anyone?  

Build a 5 star relationship with God.  Then, start building 5 star relationships one person at a time

 Matt Wright, Willowcreek Church