A Holy Christmas, Part 2

God sent Jesus is the mouse and Dr. Tony Evans reminds Christmas is much more than a holiday and there's a real reason to rejoice. Now salvation on the cell celebration because it this is the alternative with Dr. Tony, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative, the well-known Christmas Carol deck the halls proclaims tis the season to be jolly and there is a lot to be cheerful about during the holidays but Dr. Evans wants to make sure that amidst the food fund and family time.

We don't miss the key reason to celebrate. Once join him as he elaborates a lot going on this Christmas, a lot of drinking and celebration family time. While it's supposed to be about Jesus is going to wind up being about everything else Christmas for a lot of reason number one don't have to go to work, celebrate time off from employment responsibility to some degree will be plenty of parties.

People will even get drunk in the name of Christmas gifts will be purchased and exchanged people in the balls will be filled. We need every visit. The current text in which Jesus was born. It was not a sterile environment. He was born in the midst of political oppression as the Romans held their phones over the Jewish nation and insisted on them being their servants a time of taxation so people had to go to that place of birth, so that the census could be taken so that they could be taxed appropriately. It would be up time in the side as babies would be killed during the season. It was in the midst of cultural chaos that the Christmas story unfolds in the midst of cultural confusion, frustration, disappointment, and a people that we come to Christmas so would seem like it's a lot like today celebrating Christmas. While the world is falling apart celebrating Christmas. While there are conflicts on every single level internationally, nationally in our personal lives and our family Christmas has become that getaway moment when we try to use the birth of Christ to forget our troubles in the current text of this reality that we celebrate Christmas. There were some interesting scenarios. When Jesus was born. Maybe you can identify with one of one according to Luke chapter 2, there was so much partying going on in Bethlehem, there was no room for him and begin so many people so much activity. So many festivities that was just no spot for Jesus because too much was the one.

Or perhaps you can identify with this one said where is he in Matthew chapter 2 that I worship him all the time knowing one of the killing to the problem with it is that one of the two kinks can't be king and Jesus became one of us have got to go by the use worship as the excuse to get rid of a lot of help you Sunday is an excuse to get rid of Jesus all week long. They they don't want him rolling their lives, but they want to pay what appears to be legitimate homage to because there's only one place for King that is me being my own king met him being king over me, but they'll still talk worship or perhaps you would think like the religious leaders of the day because in Matthew chapter 2 it says that they told the wisemen where he would be born. They quoted the prophecy of Micah 52 would say hundreds of years before Jesus was more than he would be bored 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 as a leader quote the Bible and do nothing with it CV if you're been around long enough to know and it not help you. So these religious leaders could quote the Scripture and it had no effect on their life on the decision on their choices so that what 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 in Luke chapter 2, 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 is because you need to be saved. Just the first thing that's born for you is a Savior saint means to be different from something the word slave means deliverance all rescue the risen God sent Jesus is to rescue us from the current subpoints is about sin.

Sin separated man from God and because God is perfect, it cannot lower his 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 because if I didn't do good on the task and knew that they would curve the grade given the fact that everybody have failed it again 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 nerd, because his presence didn't 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 person in human history whose met the perfect standards of a holy God, so God can grade you on the turn, he cannot 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 caused by that sin, and from the worst thing of all death. Do you know that the good news of the gospel means you never get to die. Jesus told Mary in John chapter 11 he said to her, he believed in me shall never die. So the worst thing you can think of the 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, are given the gift of eternal life of 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. Now salvation, automate the celebration because Rick told in verse 10 do not be afraid, behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people. The celebration celebration because it is good news, bad news. You read your newspaper, and that's 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 in the Bible was always associated with celebration good news 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 they said them well I got your test results back and I got bad news, I got really bad news was 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 read the celebrate joy and that is the birth of Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel that he 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. Dr. Evans will have more about peace on earth and with the birth of Jesus Christ really means for each of us when he 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.

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Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your generous your contributions very Christmas happy new year. Our hearts are grateful for your generosity.

Please visit us@tonyevans.org that 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 on a bad day. If you really understand what Christmas is all about. So we offer salvation celebration to a marvelous 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 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 saccharine celebrities, celebrity substitutes, people have a name because of that talent and skill.

The money that present their power, all of which can be reduced to ashes in life and will be reduced to ashes at the end of life so that celebrity substitutes we got some real sugar here afraid that you're going to give an skill to anybody is only one suit.

Of the universe that is Jesus Christ who I love deserves the accolades and the glory that have been offered because it says glory to God's this Jesus all by himself. He is glory to God in the highest, so no name is to put be put beside Jesus's name because he is in a class all by himself and at the birth of Jesus and says happened broke out in worship and gave glory to God.

Verse 14 says glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men. The opposite of peace is 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. You can get along witchy everybody out air miles is in trouble, so we live without personal conflicts, our inner dialectic are in her confusion with ourselves and we have relational conflict with one another. Whether it's in the home or at work and relax. Peace is all manner of social conflict. The racial problem appears 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 people 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 peace and he says it is to give peace among people being able to answer the question we all get along. So which will if this is what Jesus came to do to save the celebrate lead us in a glorious worship experience and to bring harmony where there is haptic. All of these were problems in the first century was wrong. Why has Christmas failed us, why has Christmas not not worked out. Why will it be when Christmas is over, we flipped the calendar to the new year will be right back where we started. We got a little reprieve for a few days because this Christmas will be singing songs of celebration joy to the world who don't normally go to church may show up at a Christmas service or New Year's Eve service because it's a holiday this point in time.

Do what is to become post-Christmas post January 1, the madness will start up again.

The lights will go out. The trees will be taken down size 38 will become size 42 picture back into this world of confusion and conflict which is just the opposite of what Jesus came to give the story of Christmas is all about good meals celebration joy.

Worship is supposed to be Christmas. 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 unhappy while God makes them happy. They want to say God bless America. While America refuses to bless God and when God is not 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 than the thing he came to give you don't get you don't get the harmony you don't get the 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 want what Christmas is designed to give it says it is offered to those who please, which means my orientation orientation and orientation must be as 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 please him, 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 have Christmas boxes outside of my home and they all gloriously decorated that got the red colors on them that tied with a ribbon and they look the part you would drive by the front steps you would say it's Christmas what you have to know about those boxes that they're all empty, not a thing in empty, but they look the part.

People all over the nation will look, don't go to church that put on the red and green color. They'll say Merry Christmas and that Christmas trees they may read the Christmas story, but they'll be no Jesus, and if there is no Jesus death call fake news since they Christmas not the real thing. No Jabez, no real Christmas whatever name you want, you could say Merry 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 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 you have the gobble woman fertilized by the Holy Spirit producing one would be called son of God and Son of Man, humanity and deity wielded 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 up 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 been following to please them as your Lord give you a bill 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.

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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 have in 2020, as well as his popular devotional book called for a purpose again it's Tony Evans.org or let one of our team members help you by calling 1-800-800-3222 anytime of the day or night resource Center never closes again that's 1-800-800-3222. What's the point in wanting more. When we don't appreciate what we already have next week.

Dr. Evans will address that question as he explains how to ask God for a blessing that will not only change your new year, but the rest of your life 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 save. 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 he forgive my sin I claim you down with my Savior, may I move forward in a way that will make it my lifestyle to be pleasing to give so that I can have Christmas every day. The alternative with Dr. Tony, have you by the urban is made possible by the generous contribution of listeners