December 20, 2015
Morning Service

What is Christmas really about?  Our society has been asking this question for many years now.  It is unquestionably the biggest and most celebrated of all the holidays.  Stores are now putting out their Christmas merchandise right after Halloween.  We decorate our homes, businesses, and even churches in anticipation of this Christmas holiday.  Our activity level increases greatly as we shop for just the right gift and gather together with family and friends as part of our celebration.  Most of are so busy we even reach the point of frustration and wish it all could just be more simple.  Some of are even angered by how our culture has turned this holiday into more of a celebration of material things than its true meaning.

This morning and also tonight at the children’s program we hope to remind you what Christmas really is all about.  We have some special songs that will help us tell the true meaning and also we have a very special speaker who does excellent job of explaining the meaning of Christmas for us.

This confusion of the true meaning of Christmas actually began on the first one.  On the night of Jesus’s birth, his mother was full of question herself on what was really happening and who he child really was.

“Mary did you know”

Our special speaker this morning is one you have all heard before.  In fact every time I here this scripture from Luke chapter 2 read, I think of him.

This comes from the original Peanuts special a “Charlie Brown Christmas” shown first in 1965.  Charles Schulz was the writer and right up until the airing of the program he had to stand firm against opposition that wanted to take out this scene of Linus quoting Luke chapter 2.  Even back then, the network was afraid that the religious content would offend many of its viewers.  Oh how they were wrong.  It has been shown now every Christmas since, that is 50 years ago!  Schulz knew the true meaning of Christmas and was courageous enough to stand up and make sure the truth was told.  Are we willing to be courageous as well?

In helping to answer our question this morning, I want to emphasize a point from our guest speaker’s quoting of Luke.  It is however, not something he said, but something he did.  When Linus gets to the angels’ first words of “Don’t be afraid,” he drops his security blanket.  In doing so, he shows each of us that we need not fear either.  Christmas is not about fear, anxiety or stress.  It is about love.  God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to live among us and to eventually die for us.  God did not wait for us to be good enough to come to Him, He came to us.  Christmas is about love.  It is about God’s love for us and also His command for us to love one another.

 Listen to what John wrote in I John 4:7-21.

Christmas song

·         Perfect love casts out fear.  Linus believed that and dropped his security blanket.  In this ever changing world we live in we have lots of things we can become fearful of.  I ask you to trust God and cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. (I Peter 5:7)

 

The true question this morning is “What do you believe is the true meaning of Christmas?”

Do you look at the Babe in the manger as your Savior?  If so, do all the things you have planned for this week with that in mind. 

Closing song