A Holy Christmas, Part 2

One Christmas we don't get the benefit on Dr. Tony Evans is candycane giftgiving and good cheer. We find we leave out the Lord we've missed the point of Christmas is all that Jesus you want.with another day off from work. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative. I would like to say to all of our friends on behalf of our whole ministry. A very very Merry because as you enjoy food Fellowship family and friends make the most of this time to be reminded about the real meaning of Christmas. That is God becoming so the men could connect with God. That's really what Christmas is all about. So have a very very Merry Christmas to help you celebrate the reason for the season and strengthen your connection with God.

Dr. Evans will take us back to where it all started on that first Christmas in Bethlehem. Let's join them as he gives us a look at what was going on at the time. So now you know when Jesus was born five of one according to Luke chapter 2 that was going on was no room for him and begin so many people so much activity so many so much concern about census and passing new tax codes that was just no spot for Jesus.

Perhaps you can identify with this one said see in Matthew chapter 2 all the time. Knowing he wanted to kill 2K be king and Jesus became one of us have got to go, but you shall excuse to get rid of a lot of help you Sunday as an excuse to get me to Jesus all week long. Maybe they don't want him alive, but they want to pay what appear to be legitimate homage to because is only one place for King and that is me being my own king met him being king over me, but they'll still talk worship or think like the leaders of the day because in Matthew chapter 2 it says that they told the wisemen where he would be born, the prophecy of Micah 52 would say hundreds of years before Jesus was more than he would be born in the microscopic town of Bethlehem, Soviet leaders knew the Bible, but never made the trip they quoted Micah 52, but never went to meet the Savior themselves because is quote the Bible and do nothing with it CV if you been around long enough to know and it not help you. So quote the Scripture and had no effect on their life on the decision on bed choices something with different reactions to the birth of Christ. I want to look at for specific responses to the birth of Christ as recorded in Luke chapter 2 just for things that ought to call your attention to him in a fresh way to the first thing that we see in verse 11 it says for the day of the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. So the first reason you may Christmas if you need to be saved means to be different from something the word say means deliverance all rescue the risen God sent Jesus is to rescue us from the quinces of sin separated man from God because God is perfect, it cannot lower your standards just because he loves us because we're perfect. No matter how good we are. We can't meet the standards of a perfect God. So we needed to be saved. When I was in school. I love it when the teacher said back on a greater test on the curve that made my day to do good on the task and knew that they would curve the grade given the fact that everybody had failed to gain good news that I would be delivered by the teacher from Australia but every now and then that be one nerd in the classroom. Nerd is a weird smart person would be this nerd in the classroom would make 100 and mess up the curve. Everybody hated her because let us get away without fail presence reminded us, because now the teacher would not grade on the curb because the standard has been met by that was only one in person human history whose map of a holy God, so God can grade you want to reduce his standard to our level of sinfulness.

But what he will do is allow us to have a Savior that's why Jesus came he came to rescue us. He came to deliver us from sin from circumstances that sin and from the worst thing of all death. Do you know the good news of the gospel means you never get to die. Jesus told Mary in John chapter 11 he said to her and me shall never die.

So the worst thing you can think of physical life, physical death will never happen to the believer. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord you get delivered from the thing we fear most because we have a Savior rescuer and all place faith alone in Christ alone.

Given the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins so that they all say by a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

So one of the benefits of Christmas and the most important one is salvation nation automate the celebration because Rick told in verse 10 do not be afraid, behold, I bring you great joy which shall be for all people celebration celebration because it is good news, bad news on here you read the newspaper and bad news every day in the news only gets worse when I got some good news because Jesus was born on a bad day and a bad time in bad circumstances, and he says I've got good news is good news will make you want to shout because it gives you joy joy of the Bible was always associated with celebration having a bad day and some days can be really bad. Makes me think of Doctor Who called this patient and happy.this test results, he said them well I got your test results back and I got bad news, I got really bad news. The bad news. The bad news is based on these test results. You only have one day left to live. That's the bad news yeah what was the really bad news. I should've called you yesterday because sometimes the news is bad.

Another time, just like really bad.

But I'm here to declare you today some good news and we celebrate joy and that is the birth of Jesus Christ but gospel Betty brings that even if you're in a bad stage of the bad times and bad circumstances. He can give you joy in the midst of your madness and your best, so you can live with good new on a bad day. If you really understand what Christmas is all about. So we offer salvation celebration to problems worship says in verse 13 and suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, all have been broke out in worship at the presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is what I like to call the celebrity of the universe we live in a day of sacrament celebrities, celebrity substitutes, people have a name because of talent and skill that money that presents their power, all of which can be reduced to ashes, life, and will be reduced to ashes at the end of life so that celebrity substitutes we got some real sugar here afraid to go to given skill to anybody is only one soup. Universe that is Jesus Christ who are low deserves the accolades and the glory have been offered because it says glory to God's this Jesus all by himself. He is glory to God in the us so no name is to put beside Jesus's name because he is in a class all by himself and at the birth of Jesus broke out in worship and gave glory to God. Verse 14 says glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men reconciliation. In other words, the answering of conflict doctrines will have more about peace on earth and with the birth of Jesus Christ really means for each of us continues her message just a moment for so I want to encourage you to check out his brand-new CD collection the best of Tony Evans 2020. It contains 20 of his most hard-hitting life-changing lessons of the past year, including messages on experiencing the power of God.

Coping with crisis meeting, worry and anxiety, and living a life that matters. And right now we're offering this collection is our gift to you when you come alongside Tony's ministry and make a year-end contribution and for limited time when you make that donation will also send you a popular devotional book from Tony that can help you understand how your passion and purpose are linked and how your obedience to God can make your calling clear call for a purpose in the best of Tony Evans, 20, €20 with our thanks when you visit Tony Evans.org and make a donation, but only through next week so plan to make a contribution right away and here's Dr. Evans was a word about why we're so grateful for your support call regularly. Thank those who came alongside of him who undergirded him with a generosity for the ministry God called him to do what we are doing the same. We praise our God, for the friends that he's raised up who not only are blessed and benefit from the ministry, but to help sustain it to the generous financial contributions so we thank God for you if you're not one of those who come alongside yet. Would you consider this being a great time to start why because as we close out the year we wanted in the year in the black and start the new year strong, but it takes friends and generosity to do that we want to thank God for you because you would be used of God to keep us going. You are the wind beneath our wings. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your generous your contributions. Merry Christmas, happy new year. Our hearts are grateful for your generosity. Please visit us@tonyevans.org and let us know we can count on your help so we can send you the best of Tony Evans 2020, as well as his popular devotional book called for a purpose again that's Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 our resource Center never closes. So don't wait again., 1-800-800-3222 when I let's get back to today's message. Here's Dr. Evans set up this conflict. We live in a world of all kinds of conflict. First of all, we live in a world with people in conflict with themselves to get along with everybody else. Bios is in trouble and that we have relational conflict with one another. Whether it's in the whole board were peace is all social conflict. The racial problem appears to get worse and worse in the class divide continues to grow political for sure continues to separate people and parties and there is no peace. Yet, it says Jesus came to offer reconciliation will be able to get along with themselves without those in a world where people are divided that Chris was at the center of it is to give please and he says it is to give peace among people being able to answer the question we all get along. We got a little reprieve for a few days because this Christmas will be singing songs of celebration joy to the world this point in time. Do what is to become post-Christmas post January 1, the lights will go out. The trees will be taken down size 38 will become size 40. To get your back into this world of confusion and conflict which is just sick of what Jesus came to give what went wrong and what is going wrong now in verse 14 glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men, and we cannot leave out the bars with whom he is pleased to see people want to Christmas without Christ, they want to displease God but get the benefits of Christmas all hello they want to make God on happy while God makes them happy. They want to say God bless America. While America refuses to bless God and when God is pleased because Jesus has been relegated to the sideline worship has become an event and not an orientation to life, placing him does not become our goal again, you don't get you don't get the harmony you don't get good news, experience, all you wind up with is a holiday and not a holy day, you wind up with the moment, not an orientation.

The life if you don't want what Christmas is designed to give it says it is offered to those who please, which means my orientation orientation and must be a way of life as we approach the new year to say with Paul that my please and that means that I want to live my life in such a way that is true is controlling my decisions that I am living to play and as a result of living to please the benefits of Christmas become the benefits of you.

So many people this holiday season will be like the Christmas boxes outside of my home to a drive-by front steps you would say Christmas what you have to know about those boxes that they're all empty, but they look the part. People all over the nation will look the charts that put on the red and green color. They'll say Merry Christmas and the Christmas tree.

They may read the Christmas but there will be no Jesus, and if there is no Jesus death call fake news say Christmas is not the real thing.

No, Jesus no real Christmas whatever name you want, you could say married Christmas all you want but MS Jesus is the reason for the season, you wind up with another day off from work so the challenge today is to turn Christmas into what it was designed to be the recognition of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, you have a one-of-a-kind person, humanity and deity will gather without mixing so that it would be fully God and fully man and one person and because he is God he can reach down because he is mad he can reach out because he can take with them and connect us to a holy God. So don't let this Christmas find you without Christ.

First of all, as your Savior and then following to please them as your Lord if you will know that if you will come to Christ who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him simply by faith, placing faith alone in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and for the gift of eternal life. He promises him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He wants to give you the reality of himself, if you will, and accept him as your personal sin. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with a final thought to wrap up this Christmas Day message. If you'd like to get your personal copy of this lesson for yourself or to share with a friend or family member you can visit Tony Evans.org and request the title of a holy Christmas.

And while you're there, don't forget that special year-end offer I mentioned earlier today, the brand-new audio compilation called the best of Tony Evans 2020 by giant assortment of Tony's most requested messages of the past year, and Tony's popular devotional book called for a purpose. They're both yours is or thank you gift when you make a year-end contribution toward the ministry of the alternative.

Dr. Evans is reaching out across the country and around the world through radio, TV, training and equipping events, resources, and more. But it's all supported completely by friends, just like you who believe in Tony's ministry and want to help keep his teaching on the station. People often assume that somebody else is going to step up and meet me.

It's like this before going to end 2020 strong and kick off the new year with all of our outreach is up and running we need to hear from you.

Please get in touch with us right away and let Tony know he can count on your help. You can donate online@tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Either way will send you the special year-end thank you gift 20 lessons in the best of Tony the 2020, as well as his popular devotional book called for a purpose. Again, it's 2011's.org or let one of our team members help you by calling 1-800-800-3222 anytime of the day or night. Our resource Center never closes again that's 1-800-800-3222 on Monday. Dr. Evans will explain there are two parts to revival and being only half revived doesn't get the job done right now though he's back to close out today's Christmas message with this important thought for you question about whether you possess eternal life and forgiveness of sin. What you go to Christ right now and say Lord I know I'm assuming and I need to see.

I believe you came in the world to be my sake that you got on the cross from sin that you rose from the dead from selfish because I now receive you as my personal substitute believing your promise to give me eternal life and to forgive my sin I claim you now with my Savior, they I move forward in a way that will make it my lifestyle to be pleasing to you so that I can have Christmas the alternative with Dr. Tony Irvin alternative is made possible by the generous confusion of listeners like