Christmas sermons

Here is one that I preached this morning. It's not popular, but I believe is still effective. This was on the life of King Herod, the Great (Matthew 2)



Christmas: BAH-HUM-BUG

1. Evil Craftiness
2. Over Crowdedness Luke 2:7 (I know nothing to do with Herod, but very important for this time of year)
3. Envious Heart (Jealousy)
4. Selfishness

Like I said, not popular, but needful.

 

Today I went with, "Reason for the Season" which I do every year Luke 2: 8-14


I had planned a different sermon but the kids sung this song just before i got up and I felt compelled to go with it. So I did...

 

Today, I did "Rejoice in the Lord Always" (Phil 4:4ff)---setting things up for the 23rd.

 

Interesting... Do you use an outline? Can you post it?

Your text has my mind running...

 

Lebuick,

1. Here's the thing: Sometimes I write an outline, but not necessarily everything I am going to preach.

2. I tend to look at a text and read over and over the book it's in and then take notes and develop a working outline. So here are my notes:



Rejoice In the Lord Always (Phil 4:4-14)

Introduction
1. Christians should be the happiest people on the earth—why?—because of who we are and whose we are.
2. God has given us his Spirit to indwell us—the world does have this blessing.
3. And with the Spirit living inside of us, we should have joy, for joy is a fruit of the Spirit’s presence in our lives (Gal 5:22; Rom 14:17).

Rejoice In the Lord Always: An Exploration.

1. What does it mean to Rejoice in the Lord Always?
2. What is behind Rejoicing?
a. In this letter Paul is fond of using one form of rejoicing or the other (1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10).
b. Let’s look at these references briefly:
i. 1:4—Paul offers prayers with joy, because the Philippians partnered with him in the gospel, even when he was in prison (vv.5-7).
a. They both experienced God’s grace together in this partnership (v.7).
b. They developed a strong bond, so much so, that Paul longed for them with the affection of Christ Jesus (v.8).
c. Then Paul prays for their spiritual growth (vv.9-11).
ii. 1:18—Paul rejoices that the gospel of Christ is preached, despite the ill-feelings toward him—Christ is proclaimed! Paul is exuberant at this idea that Christ is preached, despite the ill-feelings of other—clearly his focus was on Christ and not himself, so he could have rejoiced.
iii. 1:25—Paul expresses his belief that he will be released and be a blessing to the Philippians, to help them progress in their faith with joy—their joy is connected to their faith by one article in the Greek—we cannot have one without the other (“Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith,” NLT).
iv. 2:2—Paul instructs his readers to complete his joy by fostering unity among themselves (They had a unity problem at Philippi, 1:27; 4: 2, 3). Apparently, the Philippians had to deal more with personal issues of disunity than with doctrinal issues (Phil 3, however, deals with “evil workers and those of the false circumcision—Judaizers).
v. 2:17-18—Paul has great joy for his readers and want them to have a joy matching his joy for them, but they must “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (2:14).
vi. 2:28-29—Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice when they see their minister again, for he came to the point of death, but God had mercy on him—Paul says they need to rejoice when they see him again.
vii. 3:1—again Paul instructs his readers to rejoice in the Lord.
viii. 4:1—Paul refers to his readers as his joy and crown, because they were dear to him and he helped in establishing the church (Acts 16).
ix. 4:4—again Paul encourages his readers to rejoice but this time—always, because he has instructed them what to do: 1. Correct their disunity; 2. Beware of false teachers; and 3. Stand firm in the Lord.
x. 4:10—Paul sets the example by saying that he too rejoices in the Lord, despite the circumstances.

3. What is the meaning of in the Lord?
a. In the Lord refers to the sphere of their rejoicing.
b. It conveys both a relationship with and what is sanctioned by the Lord.
c. To be in the Lord is to be in a relationship with the Lord that he sanctions.

4. Why always and what does it mean?
a. This rejoicing in the Lord should be always—the believer has no reason not to be joyous on this earth, in a relationship with the Lord.
b. According to 1 Cor 3:22 all things belong to us.
c. If God be for the elect, who can be against us (Rom 8:31, 33)—“Because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
d. Therefore the believer should always rejoice, despite the circumstance of life—for this brings glory to God.
e. Paul seems to have learned this concept of joy in the Lord—always:
i. “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am”—he prefaces this statement with “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.”
ii. He knows how to get along with humble means, and how to live in prosperity.
iii. of being filled and going hungry,
iv. both of having abundance and suffering need.
v. Why this attitude of rejoicing despite his circumstance, whether favorable or not? “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).
vi. This verse 13 is a favorite of a lot of people—rightfully so.

5. When we take this perspective on life as believers—like the apostle Paul—we can Rejoice in the Lord always.

Conclusion
1. Christians ought to go out into the world and be joyous despite the circumstances of life, giving God the glory.
2. For we have no excuse as to why we cannot be rejoicing in the Lord always.

 

Wow, you really disected that verse. I'm going to have to let this stew a bit before I get the total picture... Thanks :thumbs:

 

That's how I tend to work through a text, before I consult commentaries and actually preach it---I do this over a period of three days.

 

So far this year I have preached three sermons. This is my first church and my first Christmas as pastor so I wanted to try and take an approach that was less than obvious. I will try to post the actual sermons later, but here are the titles.


NO MANGER WITHOUT A CROSS - THE REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON.

WHY WERE THE WISEMEN SO WISE?


THE ROLE OF A STEP-PARENT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

Next week is our childrens program and I have not decided on the sermon title or settled on the actual direction for that sermon. The week of Christmas will be a simple family time sermon about the real Christmas. After looking through many of the posts here I may "borrow" one or more of the ideas for what I have remaining.

Merry Christmas!

 

Sunday Morning, will continue the series on Ephesians. I have determined to eschew special sermons as I tend to get onto an agenda when I prepare these. To counter the tendancy, I avoid "topical" sermons.

However, Sunday night is our CHRISTmas service. (being bivocational i get to work Christmas eve and Christmas on midnight shift.)
I am working on john ch. 1 the Light and
the Bread of Life, John ch. 6,
the parable on the wheat and tares, Matt. 13
ending in John 12, the time has come to glorify Him.

It pretty much plays off the presentation the youth group are giving. The plan is the show the problem and solution, God's provision of the solution, the consequenses of rejecting the solution. and that the time is now... or something like that... last point is fuzzy, but He will tune it in.

Sun night is the best opportunity I get all year to present the Gospel to the unchurched in our community. I have met many, but that is one of 2 days a year I get them into the church and can force them to sit through the Gospel in it's entirety.

I have been praying for this Sunday night for over a month. Please join me in praying that the Holy Spirit prepares hearts to recieve the message of our inability and His ability.

 

Lessons Learned From Wise Men
Mt. 2:1-14
The Seekers
A. Seek the Savior
B. Seek the Salvation
C. Seek the Security

The Sacrifice
A. They Traveled
B. They Gave
C. They Protected

The Sensitive
A. Sensitive to Proclaim Christ
B. Sensitive to the Signs
(we should be watching for His 2nd coming)
C. Sensitive to God's Word.

Mary Christmas everyone!