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| Pastor F.F. Daramola |
Text: 2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
INTRODUCTION
Doing Christmas Christ Way, is the best and unique way to celebrate this day in history!Christmas is not just a time to decorate buildings where Christians meet, it's not just about new clothes or exchange of gifts. Christmas is all about Christ. It doesn't matter if you or your religious organization accept December 25 as the day of His birth or not, what matters is the fact of His birth.
ü Christmas is a time of Reflection.
ü Christmas is a time of Decision
ü Christmas is a time of Devotion
ü Christmas is a time of Direction.
ü Christmas is a time of Preparation.
ü Christmas is a time of Submission.
ü Christmas is a time of Affection.
ü Christmas is a time of Proclamation.
ü Christmas is a time of Exploration.
ü Christmas is a time of Association.
ü Christmas is a time of Presentation.
ü Christmas is a time of Appreciation.
ü Christmas is a time of Verification.
ü Christmas is a time of Confirmation.
ü Christmas is a time of Actualization.
ü Christmas is a time of Demonstration.
ü Christmas is a time of Identification.
ü Christmas is a time of Projection.
ü Christmas is a time of Celebration.
ü Christmas is a time of Expectation.
The list of positive meanings of Christmas is endless. Doing Christmas Christ’s way is our duty. How about your activities today? Are they the reflection of who Christ is?
PAUL SAYS that the gift God gave each of us that first Christmas is “indescribable.” The Living Bible says it is “too wonderful for words.”I call it unfathomable gift. Consider this: Isaiah says, (Isaiah 9:6 KJV. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be calledWonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of peace). Jesus was both God and man. As a child He was born, but as the Son of God He could only be given, because He always existed. SoHe is the perfect solution to our sin problem because He understands both the claims of divinity and the struggles of humanity. Today let’s examine this “indescribable gift.”
1. First, He is our “daysman!” Job said, Job 9:33. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.“Daysman” is an old English word for someone who was more than just an umpire; they could actually join the game and bring both sides together. So when you mess up, Jesus keeps one hand on you and the other on God so that the connection is never broken. “Indescribable”!
2. Second, He is our intercessor! The Bible says, Hebrews 7:25. “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” If you had to remember and confess all the sins of omission and commission you commit each day, you would never sleep; you would live on your knees. But Christ’s death covers all the wrong you have done (commission), and His life covers all the good you have left undone (omission). So, He is fully qualified to represent you before the throne of God. There is only one word that fits such a Christmas gift: “indescribable.”
3. Third, He brought God’s calm into man’s troubled sea. Once you believe and accept Him as the only begotten Son of God, you become connected to His Peace that sets free from the anxieties of sinful man.
CONCLUSION
Good news of great joy always demands a response. It asks us to go and see. That’s what the shepherds did and that’s what we must do. Today we go to Bethlehem. Bethlehem, however, is not just a physical place. Today Bethlehem is more than a geographical location in Israel. Today Bethlehem is within us. It is a spiritual reality in the heart of every human being. Bethlehem is situated amidst hope and joy, sorrow and loss, conflict and chaos, healing and reconciliation, cruelty and violence, peace and justice. It is a real place, in Israel and in us.Merry Christmas to you all. Shalom.
PASTOR F. F. DARAMOLA, Ph.D