Don't Let the Grinch Steal Christmas

Dr. Jim Bohrer

Wonderful Life Christmas 2021 • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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The Grinch lives on in every age. If we do not guard our hearts and minds, we can allow the Grinch attitude to rob us of what is most precious about Christmas.

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch who lived just North of Whoville did not! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, He stood there on Christmas Eve hating the Whos, Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown At the warm lighted windows below in their town, For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath Was busy now hanging a hollywho wreath. "And they're hanging their stockings," he snarled with a sneer. "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, "I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming!

Matthew 2:1–12 NLT

1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Make Jesus your guiding Star for Christmas. (v. 2)

Don’t allow Commercialism to creep into the manger.

Resist Conforming to cultural pressure. (v. 3)

Review the Scriptures and Prophecies of Christ. (v. 4-6)

A Tennessee professor hid a cash prize in a locker, gave his students easy written instructions on how to retrieve the money, but at the end of the semester, the prize remained unclaimed — or even acknowledged.

Kenyon Wilson, the associate head of performing arts at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wanted to see how many of his students read the syllabus of his music seminar class.

The professor teaches at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. (Shutterstock)

At the beginning of the semester, he left a crisp $50 bill in a random locker and then added the location of the locker and its combination, between parentheses, to the part of the syllabus about changes implemented by the university about newly implemented COVID protocols.

According to CNN, the hint read: “Thus (free to the first who claims; locker one hundred forty-seven; combination fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five), students may be ineligible to make up classes and ...”

Wilson also left a note in the locker congratulating the treasure-finder, asking the person to “leave your name and date so I know who found it.”

Sadly, no one found it — because no one even knew the money had been left there.

God has communicated His Treasure to the ages. Sadly many skim over the story and miss the blessing. Don’t become so familiar to the Wonder of Christmas.

Tell the story in creative ways:

Advent Calendar.

Advent Candles.

Act out Nativity Scenes.

Your own idea ___________.

Join others in the Worship of Jesus for Christ-Mass.

The Wise Men traveled at least 1 year if not two years. Can you imagine the discussions they had over dinner? Think about all the things we take for granted that unfolded right before their eyes. They had that little prophecy and they saw a Celestial sign that they followed. They had heard the prophecies of Baalam and the witness of Daniel. Think about how excited they became as they drew closer and closer. Then seeing the Star guiding them directly!

They stayed focused. They didn’t get distracted. They went to great pains and expense to worship Jesus.

Today the temptation is to get distracted. We can become so

FOCUSED ON MAKING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL THAT WE FORGET THE ONE WHO MAKES CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.

He is the reason for the Season.

He is the Hope for all hearts.

He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!" "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say, That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!

Luke 1:76–79 LEB

76 And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the merciful compassion of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.”