06 Dec “Christmas Un-wrapped” | Part One ‘Un-wrapped Up’
Announcements:
All announcements can be found at: waterschurch.guide
PLEASE REGISTER FOR CHRISTMAS SERVICES, PASS THE WORD ON TO YOUR MEMBERS TOO! GO TO WATERSCHURCH.GUIDE
Legacy Offering continues.
ORNAMENTS IN BOTH LOBBIES FOR SALE THRU DEC 19 TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN NEED THIS CHRISTMAS. YOUR DONATION WILL HELP US ORGANIZE A DRIVE-UP SANTA IN FALL RIVER AND WOONSOCKET ON THE 19TH! THANK YOU!
Many people tend to wrap themselves up in things that don’t really matter during the Christmas season. There is a difference between what Christmas should be and what it actually is. It can be a disappointing season for some and we need to get back the reason for the season. We put a lot of pressure on this season in expectation of what it should be. We are in the habit of covering up what God came to do. We just keep wrapping it in stuff that does not matter.
Q. In what ways have you ‘covered up’ Christmas (some examples were gifts, food, relatives, cute images of manger, etc.)?
“With more spiritual reflection and less gifts, most Americans say COVID-19 will change Christmas.” – ChristianPost.com
All the stuff we usually pack on, Covid will take off.
10% of America’s religiously unaffiliated said the pandemic has made them more likely to spend time in spiritual reflection during the holidays this year.
God has been shouting to the world to ‘Wake Up’!
Q. What are your thoughts on this? How may Christmas be different for you this year in light of our current situation?
Isaiah: The 5th GOSPEL
This book was written by a prophet of Israel in 800 BC. It accurately details the birth of Jesus, the suffering of Jesus, the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus and it announces the Gospel to the nations.
Isaiah 52:9-13 – 53:3 (ESV)
Israel was looking for a military hero to solve their physical problems.
- God’s GIFT is NOT what you’d EXPECT.
Jesus was born to a poor Jewish couple, he was announced to lowly shepherds. He was born to a people of no stature and then they became fugitives. It is not the story of a conquering hero and they hear nothing about Him until he turns 30. Everyone who needed Jesus did not understand Him at one point, even John the Baptist. What we get from God is not typically what we expect from God.
Acts 1:6 (ESV)
They expected that Jesus was going to finally do what they wanted, save them from the nations but instead he defeats our real enemy – sin, hell, and death. The real battle is for our souls! God does not operate according to our plans.
Isaiah 52:14–15 (ESV)
Israel EXPECTED a CONQUERING HERO, they were given a SUFFERING SERVANT.
Q. What are you expecting God to do that does not seem to happen and why do think he is silent in this situation?
2. God’s GIFT STARTLES you AWAKE to REAL LIFE.
Isaiah 52:15 (ESV) and (NLT)
What is outside of us is not the problem. The problem is what is going on inside and Jesus can change that. He does not give us what we want but what we need. He did not come to save us from our problems but to change us from the inside out. If we are Christians, then we have been startled awake.
Q. How has your being startled awake changed your life and others around you?
Jesus is STARTLING AWAKE people from EVERY NATION!
3. When God’s GIFT is NOT what you EXPECT, it’s best to simply ACCEPT it.
Jesus suffered because he associate with us. Whatever we are going through, Jesus can relate to us. Through depression, death of a loved one, rejection, betrayal, etc, he has suffered however we have suffered. Because he is man, he could feel it but because He is God He can heal it.
Isaiah 53:1–3 (ESV)
Q. When you came to Christ, was the gift of salvation difficult to accept and why (maybe you thought it was too good to be true, or it was for others not for you etc.)?
John 1:10–13 (ESV)
When you UNWRAP God’s UNEXPECTED GIFT in Christ, you OPEN your life to what you were MADE to HAVE.
We were made to have forgiveness, peace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Challenge: This Christmas season use what you were made to have to point someone to what Christmas if really about.
No Comments