Welcome to the
Crestview Church of Christ
Marshall, Texas
The Perfect Christmas Presence
Gal. 4: 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
How does Paul refer to people who are going back to weak & worthless elemental things?
"You observe days & months & seasons & years."
This is a practice that ALL religions have. To assign special aspects to certain days or months or years:
1. Like assigning Sunday as “The Lord’s Day”.
This is nonsense! EVERY DAY is the Lord’s Day!
2. Like assigning any day as a Sabbath Day.
This also is nonsense! EVERY DAY is a Christian’s Sabbath Day Matt. 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Sabbath means “rest”.
Every day a person lives as a Christian is a day of rest from labor to provide for yourself. You are free to focus on other’s needs!
3. Like assigning the Christmas season as the time to celebrate God’s gift of a Savior and to feel Christ’s presence in our lives by giving gifts to each other.
How often SHOULD we be giving each other gifts and showing our generous spirit as Christians? EVERY DAY!
The Presence of Christmas, the birth of Christ, is found in the verses of Luke Chapter 2:
1. Peace on Earth
2. Good Will toward men
3. Good News of Great Joy
Who wants to have these things only during Christmas Season?
Can they only be found then?
What are the Gifts that we can give each other every day, all year round that can give us Peace on Earth, Good Will toward each other, & Good News of Great Joy whenever we give them?
What are the Gifts that we can give every day to anyone and we will NEVER run out of them?
What are the Gifts that we can give each other every day & NEVER get tired of receiving them?
FIRST: What is the Gift that you can give DAILY, never run out of & it brings Peace on Earth?
FORGIVENESS
How many are holding on to their forgiveness because the other person hasn’t “earned” it yet? How many still have unrest in their household, silence in their relationships, and hardness in their hearts because the other person doesn’t “deserve” forgiveness yet?
1. Forgiveness that is not given as a free gift is not forgiveness at all.
2. Anything else is “getting even”. It is collecting a debt. It is called ve