What is the season we are in?
CHRISTMAS!!!
Sometimes
Satan takes what is good and corrupts it.
In many
Nations, because of the devil, same-sex marriage is being encouraged. Does that
mean we decide not to get married at all?
Just
because something being misused does not mean we stop doing it.
The devil
corrupts what was meant for good. A classic example is Christmas.
Nowadays,
the world has changed the meaning of Christmas.
How does the
devil corrupt it? For example. Take e.g. Santa Claus
Have you
heard of Santa Claus?
There are 2
kinds of people –
1.
People
who celebrate Christmas with true meaning and also include Santa Claus.
2.
People
who celebrate Christmas only through Santa Claus. That's a NO!
This is
another trick the devil has played.
Who was
Santa Claus?
He was a
bishop - Saint Nicholas, a godly Christian.
Once Saint
Nicholas met a poor man who had no money to get his daughters married.
So Nicholas
secretly went to this man's house and dropped a gold coin. In no time this poor
man got his daughter married. Next year once again he dropped a gold coin. The
poor man got his second daughter married too. The same thing happened to the 3rd
daughter too.
Why was he
doing secretly? It’s because he didn't want any attention. Later on, someone
found out about him and he was thrown in prison. There he was martyred.
Was Santa
good or bad? GOOD!
The truth is
- He was a godly Christian, with good Christian values, generous, gave gifts to
people, he died for the faith in Jesus. As Christians, we are called to redeem the
culture.
If something
is good, carry on with it.
If something
is bad, check and stop it completely.
If something
good get distorted we change it and redeem it
Why do
Christians o celebrate Christmas or why do they decorate their homes?
Was Jesus
born on 25th Dec? NO!
Centuries
ago, people decided to celebrate on 25th Dec.
Should we
decorate? You are free to celebrate Jesus' birth in your own way. There's no
compulsion.
Should we
set up a tree n decorate it? It's up to an individual.
The origin
of the word Christmas refers to Catholic word mass.
It's Christ
+ mass.
Over the
time, the original meaning was gone. It doesn't mean Christ + mass but it's the
celebration of Jesus' birth.
The meaning
of words does change.
Once upon a
time, we could say, "I'm happy and gay"
But now, can
we say the same?
Jesus has
set us free. Let's focus on Jesus and his birth. Let's not judge people who
celebrate through Decoration, tree, sweets, Santa Claus etc.
Now to our text for today.
But when the set time
had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to
redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit
of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “ Abba, Father.” So you
are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has
made you also an heir.- Galatians 4:4-7 NIV
We see 3
things –
1.
When the time had fully come
Right at the beginning, Adam and Eve were given a promise
that a seed will come to destroy Satan.
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush
your head, and you will strike his heel.”- Genesis 3:15 NIV
Who was God
talking about? Jesus!
Right at the
Garden of Eden, God made a promise for our salvation. People have been waiting
to see who that Savior was.
In Old
Testament, it's just a shadow. The New Testament has clarity. Over the period,
God gave more and more clarity on his promise.
i)
Line of David
“The days are coming,”
declares the Lord , “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King
who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel
will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our
Righteous Savior.- Jeremiah 23:5-6 NIV
As history progressed,
God gave prophets the Revelation about Jesus.
So Joseph also went up
from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David.
- Luke 2:4 NIV
Town of David - Promise
fulfilled
ii)
Virgin
Therefore the Lord
himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.- Isaiah 7:14 NIV
As the prophets were
looking forward, there were signs.
In the sixth month of
Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant
of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. - Luke 1:26-27 NIV
Virgin - Promise
fulfilled
iii)
Where? – Bethlehem
“But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come
for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from
ancient times.” - Micah 5:2 NIV
(This was the first
census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone
went to their own town to register. So
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem
the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
- Luke 2:2-4 NIV
Town of Bethlehem - Promise fulfilled
Throughout
history, God has been working through governors and prophets to reveal the
promise.
Historically,
why was it the right time?
1.
God raised Babylonians
One sin - committed over and over again. This was to put an end to
idolatry.
2.
Greeks
Alexander the great conquered Nations thus making Greek a common
language. Communication through a common language.
3.
Roman
Powerful, established peace of Roman. The saying, "All roads lead to
Rome". Paul and other disciples traveled through the roads the Romans have built
All these
put together was an ideal situation for the gospel to spread. What's the gospel
about?
1. Jesus - Son of God
But when the set time
had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, -
Galatians 4:4 NIV
When did
Jesus become son of God? Was it on the day he was born? No! He was eternally
the son of God.
2. Redemption
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.
- John 3:16 NIV
But when the set time
had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to
redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. -
Galatians 4:4-5 NIV
This is the
gospel.
It's
redemption!
3. Adoption
But when the set time
had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to
redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. - Galatians
4:4-5 NIV
When parents
have their own child, do they have a choice? No!
When parents
adopt a child, do they have choice? Yes!
God chose
you. Adoption is legal.
When a child
is adopted, he/she becomes a part of that family. The heir of the family.
Similarly,
God chose you and adopted you into his family.
So this
Christmas, we believe that, behind all that's happening in the nation, God is
working.
As we enter
this church, let's remember this great truth and rejoice.
Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again), Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.
