Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Miracle of Christmas
I love Christmas time.
I love the traditions, the movies, the music, the food, the family celebrations, and even working to get that perfect gift.
My family watches quite a few different Christmas movies during this season but one that is always at the top of the list is the Polar Express.
It’s a story of kids taking a magical train ride to the north pole on Christmas Eve.
In the story the character of the kids is revealed and challenged and they become friends along the way.
One of the main lines in the polar express that stands out is this
The magic of Christmas lies in your heart.
The magic of Christmas is that warm picture of something hoped for . . .
something believed in . . .
something that will change us or our lives.
Now that’s a nice picture and something we can enjoy thinking about, but in the end it’s not the magic of Christmas that we need.
Does a child’s imagination and joy at Christmas fix all of our problems?
Does the hopeful expectation of getting that perfect gift leave us without disappointment?
Does the gathering of family insure the absence of conflict or remove the pain of loss in our lives?
Does eating a feast of celebration end hunger in the world?
In the end, I would answer, “No, but it does point us to the answer.”
Christmas peals back the layers of life and shines a light onto the hope we all long to see fulfilled.
That hope goes unfulfilled if we expect one day or one season in a year to fix everything.
It isn’t the “magic” of Christmas that we need . . .
It is . . .
The Miracle of Christmas
This is why we say a little Christmas goes a long way.
and today we are talking about the gift God gave and how it brings us peace.
A Little Peace Goes a Long Way
Let’s look at the encounter the shepherds had with the angels in Luke 2.
Peace
What is this peace that the angels proclaimed?
This morning we need to talk about what was so exciting about this moment in history.
What is it about this event that spawned the celebration of Christmas.
What do you think of when you hear the word peace?
The kids are finally asleep?
The bills are all paid?
The family is all healthy?
You aren’t having any personal conflicts?
Your work environment is flowing smoothly?
There are no wars?
You are sitting on a beach listening to the waves as the son sets and a warm breeze touches your skin making all your cares melt away.
Did the angels come to announce that your kids fell asleep? or that there are no more human conflicts?
or that you get to go on vacation?
No!
The angels came to announce that God was making a way for peace to exist between mankind and himself.
Peace with God
Why is God’s wrath upon mankind?
Because we live in ungodliness and unrighteousness which suppresses the truth.
Who has God’s wrath been focused on?
We have all been the objects of God’s wrath.
Look at verse 4 again:
What does God’s Kindness look like?
God’s kindness comes as warning to those who are wandering.
His kindness comes in the form of food to eat, air to breath, and water to drink.
His kindness comes in plans that go well and plans that don’t go well.
His kindness leads us to repentance! God wants us to see that even the best things in this world will not save our souls.
Who subjected creation to futility?
God did it so we wouldn’t trust in it and forfeit our souls.
So the peace the angels sang of is not simply a wonderful moment.
The peace they came to proclaim was a peace that removed God’s wrath.
Look at look 2:14 again:
We just got done looking at our plight.
Who is God pleased with?
On their own . . .
no one pleases God
Our Plight and His Provision
Flesh or Spirit
The Flesh
In the flesh it is impossible to please God
The Spirit
The traditions of Christmas cannot save us . . .
good moments cannot be all we live for . . .
we need the miracle of Christmas.
Now through Jesus, Mankind is offered peace with God.
How does Jesus describe this peace?
It’s an eternal peace, not momentary peace
How do believers access this peace?
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