Sermon Tone Analysis

Titus 3:

when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life

About three years ago Jeanette and I were shopping on Black Friday.

We were at Fred Meyers for their annual sock sale and both of us were looking through bins for just the right kind.

I spotted one I thought looked decent and reached for a closer look.

Just as I was about to grab hold of them, a short, little Asian lady powerhoused me out of the way and snagged them first.

She more than gave me a little shove.

She full on acted like a line backer to get me out of her way.

I bumped into others and thought I was almost ready to fall.

But, she got her socks and paid no mind to how she had obtained them or what disruption she may have caused.

Of course, it was the last pair of those socks so all behavior should be excused.

We joke about that lady every year as we remember this incident of selfish indulgence.

Black Friday is a no hold barred kind of event that happens every year.

We fill ourselves with the idea of getting the hot new items at the best prices and are willing to fight our way to be first.

What so many people just do not recognize is that prices on Christmas Eve are notoriously lower than Black Friday.

If you just save all your shopping for the last minute you can save even more.

All you have to do is be willing to struggle through all the Christmas Eve crowds, hope they still have the items you’re looking for, wait in lines longer than Disneyland to pay for it all, go home, pull out your wrapping paper to get it all prettified, realize you don’t have enough paper and fight your way to the store again to start all over.

Once you’ve managed all of this, you finally get the joy of ignoring your family for the entire evening while you fight, rip, and tear your way through the wrapping process only to emerge around midnight with various bows and tape stuck to parts of you.

But, you saved even more money and didn’t get plowed by a little Asian lady…you hope.

Now you can start thinking about Christmas dinner prep...

Every year I see a big to-do over store that refuse to say Merry Christmas.

Retail environments choose Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings and many Christians feel this removes Christ from the holiday.

I am not completely sure that I agree with this idea.

Christ is only removed if we remove Him from our thoughts and heart.

If we choose to make Christ the center of our holiday, then He is.

We do have a entire season of holidays that others choose to celebrate, Hanukkah which has been celebrated since 165 BC commemorating to rededication of the 2nd temple.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 and is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili.

Families celebrate in their own way with songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal.

After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Karenga searched for ways to bring African-Americans together.

He started to research African “first fruit” (harvest) celebrations and combined aspects of each to form the basis of Kwanzaa.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili.

Families celebrate in their own way with songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal.

https://www.oddee.com/item_99548.aspx

Kwanza takes place over seven nights.

When the celebrating family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed.

The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans.

Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols that represent values and concepts reflective of African culture.

The holiday culminates on December 31 with an African feast, called a Karamu.

There are a whole bunch of other holidays that people have invented as replacements for Christmas to not feel their personal beliefs violated.

Now, I am not saying I agree with searching for alternatives just to avoid hurt feelings but I think we shouldn’t have hurt feelings when others choose to celebrate differently than us.

Christmas is itself an entire set of seasonal holidays.

We don’t just celebrate the birth of Christ.

His birth is just the culmination of this particular holiday.

Yet, His birth is also just the start of a much bigger Godly endeavor.

There is more to the story.

Without the events of Easter, Christmas is just another day.

It was Christ’s ultimate sacrifice that defines our celebration each December 25th.

But there is more to celebrate.

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Christmas is an Entire Season of Celebratory Greetings

Christmas is an Entire Season of Celebratory Greetings

That is why I think using the term Seasons Greetings can be just as valuable for Christians as saying Merry Christmas.

Over the next few weeks we will be taking a look at the different Seasons of Christmas that we should celebrate as Christians and these celebrations should spill over int our view and treatment of those who may not share our beliefs or traditions.

This is how Christ would choose for us to celebrate His birth above all else, by sharing in His mission.

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Seasons Greetings: Advent Series

Season of Love

Season of Love

Season of Hope

Season of Life

Season of Gifts

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Season of Love

Season of Love

Titus 3:3-7

Maria Dyer was born in 1837 on the mission field in China where her parents were pioneer missionaries.

Both her parents died when Maria was a little girl, and she was sent back to England to be raised by an uncle.

The loss of her parents, however, did not deter her young heart from the importance of sharing the gospel.

At age sixteen she, along with her sister, returned to China to work in a girl’s school as a missionary herself.

Five years later, she married Hudson Taylor, a man well-known today for his life of ministry, faith, and sacrifice.

Hudson and Maria’s work was often criticized—even by other Christians.

At one point Maria wrote, “As to the harsh judgings of the world, or the more painful misunderstandings of Christian brethren, I generally feel that the best plan is to go on with our work and leave God to vindicate our cause.”

Of their nine children, only four survived to adulthood.

Maria herself died of cholera when she was just forty-three.

But she believed the cause was worthy of the sacrifice.

On her grave marker these words were inscribed: “For her to live was Christ, and to die was gain.”

In a day when many are self-absorbed and care more about what they can get rather than what they can give, we need a renewal of sacrificial love.

It was God’s love for us that sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins, and it is that kind of giving love that our world needs so greatly today.

When we love God as we should, our interests fade as we magnify Him.

How does a moment last forever

How can a story never die

It is love we must hold onto

Never easy but we try

Sometimes our happiness is captured

Somehow a time and place stands still

Love lives on inside our hearts and always will

Minutes turn to hours, days to years and gone

But when all else has been forgotten

Still our song lives on

The book of Titus is one of the pastoral epistles specifically addressed to the pastor’s relationship and job to their church.

It is not a traditional passage for Christmas but the passage speaks of Christmas.

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Maybe some moments weren't so perfect

Maybe some memories not so sweet

But we have to know some bad times

Or our lives are incomplete

Then when the shadows overtake us

Just when we feel all hope is gone

We'll hear our song and know once more