Let us celebrate Christmas

Matthew 1:10-11, Luke 2:15-20

Speaker: Rev James Chan

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INTRODUCTION 

1.         I love Christmas season.

2.         It is sad that some Christians do not enjoy Christmas.

They send letters and articles to the pastors, telling them that it is wrong to celebrate Christmas.

I have received some of their letters.

3.         What are their objections?

            a.         Christmas is not Christ’s birthday.

            b.         Christmas means only “Christmass”

c.          Christmas trees and decorations are regarded by some as abominations.   

4.            I love Christmas.

a.            I love Christmas decorations, and I do not think that they have religious significance.

b.            As Christians, we must celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way, to glorify and honour the Lord Jesus Christ.

               (1)     This includes worship.

                       (a)         I am not referring to the worship service in the church: singing of carols, prayer, listening to the sermon and exchanging of gifts.             

                       (b)         I am speaking of the state of the heart.

                              [1]     In the Scriptures, worship is involved in self-sacrifice (Rom 12:1, 12), giving (Phil 4:18), service to others (Heb 13:16), proclaiming the Good news of Salvation (Rom 15:16).

                              [2]     Above all, the thing we need to do is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

I.       We Should Worship Like the AngeLs Did.

1.      When Jesus was born a wonderful event took place.

The heavens were opened and an angel came to speak to the shepherds in the field.

He said: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:11).

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12).

2.      The heavens burst forth with praise.

a.         Luke 2:13–14, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

b.             Why were they praising God?

(1)        Because God had carried out the work of redemption.

(2)        Christ came in the form of man.

He had been born as a Babe who would be the Saviour of the world!

II.           We Should Worship Like The Shepherds Did.

1.      They determined to come and worship Christ.

a.             They came with a sense of urgency and a determination.

Luke 2:15–16, “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us (v.15).

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (v.16).

b.             What the angels said was true.

2.      They shared the Good News.

Luke 2:17, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

a.         The people who heard it were astonished.

Luke said that they “wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds” (Lk 2:18). 

b.             But Mary did not ignore them. “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).

c.             The shepherds returned to their work with a new experience, continuously “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Lk 2:20).

3.      Christmas is a wonderful time to tell others about Christ and the purpose of His coming.

It is a wonderful time of worship and adoration to God. 

III. We Should Worship Like The Wise men Did.

Matthew 2:11, “When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

1.      We know very little about these wise men.

2.      God gave them a special sign, a star that announced the birth of Christ.

3.      We do not know how many wise men came to Jerusalem.

a.                Keep in mind that these men were Gentiles.

(1)        These men were scholars.

(2)        They were scientists.

(3)        They were wealthy.

b.         When God’s star appeared in the sky, announcing the birth of Christ, these wise men saw and they knew the announcement. 

(1)        They came all the way from the east to Jerusalem, seeking the King of the Jews (Matt 2:2).

(2)        When they heard that according to the Scripture (Micah 5:2), He was to be born in Bethlehem,

(a)        They left Jerusalem and the star appeared again (Matt 2:10).

(b)        They came to the place where Christ was.

4.      What was their purpose of coming?

a.         They came to worship Him.

Matthew 2:11a says, “they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him” (Matt 2:11a).

b.                 They brought Him gifts, “gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt 2:11b).

c.                 We give gifts to friends and loved ones at Christmas.

Have you ever thought of giving Jesus a gift for His birthday?  How?

IV.    We Should Worship Him with Grateful HeartS

1.      Paul says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Cor 9:15).

2.      If our hearts were not overwhelmed with joy, gratitude and adoration in the Christmas season, we have missed the whole spirit and meaning of Christmas.