Ghosts of Christmas Past 3

Christmas, for many it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For others, it’s a painful reminder of the past.

What if THIS CHRISTMAS, you say good-bye to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and allow God to restore the Joy of Christmas?

For the past few weeks we have been uncovering a few Ghosts of Christmas Past that have a tendency to steal the Joy of Christmas.

Expectations:

Unreasonable expectations cause us to miss the true meaning of Christmas.

Perfect tree, present, family, meal, party, outfit.

We believe that to truly have the perfect Christmas everything has to be just that, perfect.

But perception comes with a cost. Our pursuit of perfection steals the actual meaning of Christmas. Unrealistic expectations of the perfect Christmas steal the joy, meaning and value of Christmas.

Materialism – Instead of focusing on the meaning of Christmas you’re stuck on the money of Christmas.

Have to one up last years gift.

Struggling financially but ashamed to tell family you cant afford to buy gifts.

Don’t want to sound cheap, but truthfully you can’t afford to buy gifts.

Looking back and thinking, “If only this had happened we would have had the perfect Christmas. This year we are doing things right so we can have the perfect Christmas.

When your expectations are wrong, you miss what Christmas is really about.

Video: A Charlie Brown Christmas – Linus’s Speech

Christmas is about Jesus. The night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small group of shepherds were quietly tending their flocks. Nothing seemed different about this night from any other night. But what was about to happen would forever change the lives of those shepherds and people throughout the ages. The world would never be the same after the events of this night in the Judean Desert.

That night in Bethlehem teaches us three things about Christmas:

Luke 2:1-14 NKJV

1. Christmas is about Love.

Luke 2:1-7 NKJV

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The entire reason for Christmas is God’s love for us!

Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The Man and the Birds – by Paul Harvey

The man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud...At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them...He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms...Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me...That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm...to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand." At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 4:8-10 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The whole purpose for Christ coming to earth was to be the atoning sacrifice making a way for man to be right with God.

In order for Him to be the complete sacrifice, He had to be fully committed. It would have meant very little for Christ to just appear out of Heaven and say, “I’m here for you, nail me to the cross, I’m willing to die.”

Instead we see Him lying in the manger… He was man and He was God. He came to confront every trial and temptation. He came to show us the way to the Father. We trust Him with all we have because He is God, and we love Him because we know that He came as a baby in a manger.

2. Christmas is about Joy.

Luke 2:8-11 NKJV

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The angel said great joy! Really?

For many people Christmas doesn’t bring “great joy”. Instead many find themselves feely lonely, depressed, bitter, angry and the list goes on. For many Christmas is just a reminder of past hurts, failures and losses.

But the angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”

In this one statement we can see three reasons to celebrate Christmas:

“I bring you” – shows us Christmas is personal. God cares about you!

“good news of great joy” – everything about Christmas is positive.

“that will be for all people.” – it’s universal. Christmas is a time for everyone, everywhere to celebrate.

No matter who you are, where you been or what has happened. Christmas is a universal time to celebrate.

The good news of great joy is that Christ our Savior, Immanuel has come.

Joy – [Grk] Chara – calm delight – the exaltation that arises from a sense of God’s mercy that has been communicated to our soul by the forgiveness of our sins.

1 Peter 1:8 NIV Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Joy is not based on personal circumstances.

Philippians 4:4 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Joy is “a constant delight in God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV Rejoice always.

3. Christmas is about Peace.

Luke 2:12-14 NKJV

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Isaiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus would not only teach the way to peace but would also empower us to live lives of peace.

Is peace on earth really possible?

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 NIV Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

The reality is that there will never be peace on earth until…

Nations – Communities – Families – Individual lives.

We won’t have peace until the Prince of Peace reigns in our hearts.

The key to unlocking the peace of God in your life is living and enjoying one day at a time, accepting what cannot be changed instead of worrying about it, trusting in God’s loving care and wisdom, and surrendering to His plan for your life.

Romans 15:4, 13 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we trust the promises of God, when we live a life of love, joy, and peace, then God is glorified.

Set your expectations on Jesus to provide love, joy and peace.

When expect others things to bring love, joy and peace, we are setting ourselves up to be disappointed.

The events of Christmas don’t bring love, joy and peace, only Jesus brings true love, joy and peace.