Dec 20, 2020
Be Encouraged by Christ's Birth, by Pastor Greg Byman. Delivered 12/20/2020 at St Joe Community Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For more information visit http://www.stjoecommunitychurch.org/sermons/worship-service-for-sunday-december-20-2020.
Pastor's notes:
Be Encouraged By Christ’s Birth
Luke 2:1-7
This year we have a fresh appreciation for the little things
-Time with family, walks together
-We miss handshakes and hugs, coffee shop talks
-some miss friends at the gym exercising together
The ordinary things in life have become extra-ordinary
I want to challenge us to have a fresh appreciation for the ordinary story of Christ’s birth
-We often glance through these verses as common knowledge
-Manypeople who don’t follow Jesus even know the story
-A young girl gives birth to a child- big deal to Mary btw!
-however, childbirth is common, ordinary, 385,000 a day!
-Billboard on Coliseum Blvd announces birth names 24/7
-This child was not well known at birth
-The town didn’t even care that his first bed had to be a manger
Christ’s birth is also extraordinary!
-This birth fulfilled prophecy
-Mary was a virgin- this disrupted his parent’s lives!
-Jesus grew up to change our world forever as our redeemer!
I want us to be personally encouraged by Christ’s birth
-discover a new appreciation for this ordinary/extraordinary story
Why Christ’s Birth is encouraging
- Every birth is important
-Jesus chose to enter humanity through childbirth
-He honored the way in which everyone is born, didn’t just appear or descent from the heavens like an alien or extraterrestrial being
-Your birth was important!
-it doesn’t matter how many people got the announcement
-it isn’t dependent on how important your parents were
- Every parent is important
-Jesus needed Joseph and Mary to take care of him
-He could have been born self-sufficient, but he wasn’t
-Mary had to wrap him in cloths to keep him warm
-Mary had to find a bed for him- the manger
-Jesus didn’t need popular or powerful parents
-Joseph and Mary simply had to do the normal things
Parents must do to take care of children
-I wonder if Mary and Joseph felt inadequate!
-how do you raise God? What will this be like?
-can you mess up raising God?
-You are important to your children (or children around you)
-children don’t care how important the world thinks you are
-children just need you to do the ordinary tasks of
Nurturing them, protecting them, loving them
- Beginnings do not determine endings
-Jesus was unknown to the world at birth
-He gained a godly reputation growing up but wasn’t a world
influencer!
-Jesus simply came to fulfill will of His Father
John 5:19; Philippians 2:5-8
-Your beginning does not determine your ending!
-Stop blaming your past for your present problems
-Stop believing the lie that you will never matter
-Jesus invites all of us to live a fruitful life!
John 14:4
Be encouraged by Christ’s birth!
- Thank God for your birth
- Take care of the children God gave you
- you can do it! God didn’t mess up by giving them to you
- Live for the purposes of God
-Do not let your beginning dictate your ending!
-Surrender your life to Jesus Christ!