What Does God Want For Christmas?

What Does God Want For Christmas?

By Pastor Gary Wayne

In a nutshell, what is the true meaning of Christmas?
This is kind of a trick question: Where & When did Christmas actually start?

Text: Philippians 2:4-8, John 1:1-4, 14, Galatians 4:4-7

This scripture in Gal.4 implies that God planed for Jesus to be born WAY before the event happened in Luke 2.
It was God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit’s plan to have a relationship with us before Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Jn.1:1-4, (Gen.1:26 "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”)
Ver.14
Now let’s back up to ver.5-13.
What I want to point out is the incredible plan of God to send Jesus so we could have a relationship with Him.
V.13 we were born of the will of God.

When we celebrate Christmas – the coming of Jesus - we are celebrating the fact that God wants a relationship with you.
Not just when you get to heaven, but here and now.

This is an eternal Christmas gift. It NEVER ENDS!

Phil. 2:4-8
Ver.8b “…obedient to the point of death…..”
When we give our life to Jesus, where does obedience lead us? To the cross, so the parts in us that needs to die, can be removed so Jesus in us can be revealed.

Jesus was completely revealed in the resurrection, not just in His death.

It's not our dying to self that people notice, it is living like Jesus – being alive in Christ that causes people to say, there is something different about you.
It’s not me going to church, sacrificing my life for God that causes people to notice, it’s how I live life.
People may be impressed by your sacrifice to God, but what draws their real attention is when I start living like Jesus.
It’s how I treat people that makes them say, “I want what you have.”

So much of our life’s focus is about me, what I want, need.
Christmas is too often about my wishes.
What does God want for Christmas?

Lets go back to ver.1. This verse in NKJV is hard to get. NIV is better, but NLT –
Ver.1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? If so… ver.2-

What is on God’s Christmas list?