Christmas Preaching
I'm curious what you are preaching this Christmas. I'm 90% expository but went topical today with a sermon about the expectations of the birth of Christ. We had a baby dedication so it fit. Used Gen 3:15, Isa 9:6 and Matt 1:21.
Born to defeat devil, Rule righteous, Save or souls
How about you?
Dr. Kevin Purcell, Director of Missions
Brushy Mountain Baptist Association
Comments
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3 part series The Kings of Christmas - Part 1 - Herod Part 2 Wise Men Part 3 The King of Kings
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Preached an expository sermon from John 7:40-52 "Who Do You Celebrate at Christmas"
BTW: the sermon starter tool led me to this passage. Great tool!
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Christmas' Character: Joseph. (Matthew 1:18-21)
{Joseph had every reasons to divorce her, but love trumps law}
Closing with: We shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (verse 21)
with this illustration:
{There is a commonly known story that comes from the life of Martin Luther. It is said that the devil approached Luther one day and tried to use the fact that every person is fallible. He presented the Reformer with a long list of sins of which he was guilty. When he had finished reading, Luther said to Satan, “Think a little harder; you must have forgotten some.” This the devil did and added other sins to the list. At the conclusion of this exchange, Martin Luther simply said, “That’s fine.’ Now write across that list in red ink, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” There was nothing the devil could say to that}
from this book: logosres:1500bblpr;hw=Salvation,_Assurance_of;off=1377
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I read in the Baker Encyclopedia on Counseling that depression is caused by negative views of the world, self and the future. I have been using different Christmas passages to illuminate a biblical understanding of each of these (Hebrews 2 to show that our compassionate friend Jesus rules the world, Philippians 2 to show the proper humble view of self in light of Christmas where our value is found in God who exalts us, this week will be the second coming in light of the first). It has been well received.
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
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I only preach about once or twice a year, so I'm not preaching for Christmas, but I did happen to get assigned an Advent Sunday (today), and I spoke on “Patient Endurance: Advent Reflections on Waiting from the Book of Revelation” -- connecting this season of the year when we celebrate awaiting the birth of the Messiah (the First Advent) with waiting for his Second Coming (the Second Advent). Looked at three passages on waiting or expecting in Rev (6:9-11; 10:1-7; and the woman expecting a child in Rev 12) plus the calls for "patient endurance" scattered throughout the book.
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I am using Adam Hamilton's book, Not A Silent Night, as the starting point for my advent sermons. I had the opportunity to review it a month or two before advent and liked what I read:
http://pastor-patrick.blogspot.com/2014/11/not-silent-night-review.html
This book is available via Vyrso: https://vyrso.com/product/42238/
As protestants, we tend to avoid spending much time on Mary, the mother of our Lord. Yet she is present throughout the gospels - from the months before Jesus’ birth to the weeks and months after his death and resurrection. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in the United States, attempts to rectify that omission as he writes this five chapter devotional looking at the life and contribution of Mary to the church.
Writing in reverse chronological order, Hamilton moves back through the Mary’s live and sees how she was involved during the life and ministry of Jesus. The book is both theological and practical - leaving this reader to ponder events in the gospels that are often minimized but very much present. Beginning with Mary’s response to the message brought by God’s Son and moving through the role of parenting her son, Hamilton brings to life the emotions, thoughts, and tears Mary must have felt as she lived through the 33+ years of Jesus’ life.
As I approach this coming advent season (December 2014), I hope to use the book as framework for my advent sermons. I will not preach the book, but it will provide a broad outline that will guide my thinking and planning as we move from the week after Thanksgiving to the last Sunday of the year. I trust that as a pastor or lay person, others may learn from Mary’s experience as they move through this reverse biography of her life.______________This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.Blessings,
FloydPastor-Patrick.blogspot.com
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The radio stations are into playing Christmas music now so I've heard such songs as "Away in a Manger" and the like. I sincerely hope no one is preaching about that sweet little baby who makes no crying (nothing said about that in the gospels, is there?). Advent is not really the high point of the church calendar but rather Easter (and that somewhat suits me fine since they would undoubtedly do their best to muck that up). Nevertheless, Advent is important in that it sets forth the coming of God to earth to be for man.
Happy Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"Lk 2.14
george
gfsomselיְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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Usually I preach in an expository fashion but sometimes I work with topics.
This year I am doing a short series over the Christmas period, based on a phrase from a modern(ish) carol which I haven't been able to get out of my head for over a month: … because of Christmas Day.
Here's part of the diary plan for the sermon series. (I've omitted the praise chosen/used so far)
7/12/14
God Gives Us His Eternal Glory … Because of Christmas Day
2 Corinthians 3:17-4:15
Advent (Immortality)
Life without limits … because of Christmas Day
Without limit of time, … our ability, … of resources; of strength.
14/12/14
God Gives Us His Justice … Because of Christmas Day
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Advent (Justice/Judgment)
14/12/14
Carols by Candlelight
He Came to Us That We May Come to Him … Because of Christmas Day
John 1:1-14
2013 - 11 Carols
Call - Malachi 3:1
21/12/14
God Gives Us a New Creation … Because of Christmas Day
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Advent (Renewal)
Solstice 21/12/14
24/12/14
Christmas Eve Service
God Is Immanuel! … Because of Christmas Day
Matthew 1:18-25
28/12/14
Christmas Sunday
Communion
God Gives Us Hope for the Future … Because of Christmas Day
Luke 2:22-38
4/1/15
Epiphany
God’s Kingdom Comes … Because of Christmas Day
Matthew 2:1-12
Hope it makes sense. (It does to me!) BTW the sermon titles are only working titles for me and may seem weird !
Every blessing
Alan
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I also am an expositor who went topical for Christmas. Looking for a new/fresh approach I came up with two ideas. Finding the Real Christmas, basically looking at current myths and what the Bible actually said. The other was Mary did you know... pulling from the popular song and looking at three aspects of Christ's birth: as god, as king, as savior and then referncing the appropriate Scriptures. I went with the Mary one, and am showing a different version of the song, that enforces whichever theme we are talking about. It's been recieved fairly well. This week is the final one.
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This Christmas we did thematic for 1/2 and Ps 30 for message 3
1. family Sunday message called "Merry Stressmas" - trading stress for peace
2. Christmas and mission - the reason for the manger was the mission / a key reason to gather round the manger is to gather around the mission
3. when Christmas hurts
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I love this thread! Thank you all for sharing what you're preaching on this season.
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This is an awesome thread. I just took over primary preaching duties at a local church and am looking topically for a message for this Sunday as I too usually preach exposition. Thanks to all the contributors!
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Kevin, I'll be preaching on John 3.16 - The Greatest Gift of All.
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Last week I did a before/after picture of Jesus. I started with John 1:1-2,14 and then went back to Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:1-7 with the Lord on the throne being worshiped and finished with Philippians 2:5-11. He gave up much to become one of us so he could die for us!
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Kevin Maples said:
Preached an expository sermon from John 7:40-52 "Who Do You Celebrate at Christmas"
BTW: the sermon starter tool led me to this passage. Great tool!
8875.Who Do You Celebrate at Christmas. John 7.40..52.pdf
i'm sorry but your title does not match the outline of the sermon. I guess I would have to hear you preach it but other than that I don't get a who do you celebrate? from your outline. It's more like why people reject Jesus or something along those lines.
Blessings!
DAL
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Here's an interesting suggestion for a Christmas sermon
n
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DAL said:
Here's an interesting suggestion for a Christmas sermon
n
That's great. Goes perfect with my message for this week, which I found the idea of from another site. Going to preach on the Herod story from Matthew 2. Why's the Grinch Hate Christmas so Much.
1. show the scene from the grinch
2. talk about the poll saying vast majority of people want nativities on public owned sites
3. examples of war on christmas
I think the war on Christmas follks have a valid point - we've ruined Christmas with the commercialization. If we put Christ back in CHristians (thanks to your idea) then the war would really ratchet up like it did in the days of Herod.
Why was Herod so worried?
1. Jesus wants our throne (prophecy of Bethlehem as where messiah will be born)
2. Jesus changes us forever (the way he changed the wise men)
Dr. Kevin Purcell, Director of Missions
Brushy Mountain Baptist Association0 -
I am considering a sermon referring to the report of the Anglican Vicar of Baghdad about the 4 children under age 15 who were beheaded for refusing to renounce the Christian faith.
"ISIS turned up and they said to the children, 'you say the words that you will follow Muhammad.' The Children, all under 15, four of them, they said, 'no, we love Yasua [Jesus]. We have always loved Yasua. We have always followed Yasua. Yasua has always been with us. [The Militants] said, 'say the words!' [The Children] said, 'no, we can't do that.' They chopped all their heads off. How do you respond to that? You just cry. They are my children. That is what we have been going through. That is what we are going through."
I thought I would ask, "How much did Christmas mean to those 4 boys? Apparently, the fact that the Son of God came in to the world to die for their sins meant more than life itself to these children? How much does the fact that God gave his Son that first Christmas mean to us this morning?"
I may allude to the children murdered by Herod, but those children had no choice. These children chose to lay their lives for the Christ who gave Himself for them.
I will use a quote from Bill Bauknight that "most people missed the significance of the first Christmas, not because they were evil, but because they were busy."
The sermon would be based on 1 John 4:9-11 "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley0 -
Thanks Michael
Oh! when I see anything about "ISIS" I think of Revelation 6:11, Is it being fulfilled Today?
The return of Christ must be soon.
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