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entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO
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We
learn from the "For" and study Paul's writings to apply the 'TO!"
Sermon
Notes
November
30, 2008
|
Rightly Dividing "Christmas"
|
Part I
Celebrating Christmas - Is It
Expedient?
I Corinthians
6:12
All things are lawful:
-
Is Christmas a lawful celebration?
-
Does it fit the Liberty of Galatians
5:1
-
Is it expedient?
-
Does it please God according to Paul's
teachings?
Do we 'celebrate?'
Do we 'participate?'
Do we 'do' Christmas?
Do we 'partake' in Christmas?
Is the truth of Christmas something
you will eventually see as you grow as a Christian?
Philippians
1:9,10
Is Christmas an exercise in 'grace'
to you?
Ephesians
2:7
Did God give us Christmas for us
to enjoy?
I Timothy
6:17
Is Christmas part of Philippians
1:18?
Can we magnify Christ by 'doing'
Christmas?
Is Christ magnified in Christmas
today?
Is Christmas a work of darkness?
Ephesians
5:9-11
If we are to put away lying, according
to Ephesians 4:25, how can we celebrate
Christmas?
As
yourself these questions for all that we do,
including about 'doing'
Christmas:
I. Does Christmas have Power
Over You?
-
I Corinthians
6:12
-
Ever try to NOT do Christmas?
-
The tree?
-
The cards?
-
The presents?
-
The foods?
-
More than one of above?
-
All of the above?
-
Do the relatives and friends help or
discourage?
-
Do you have guilt towards the ones you
really love?
-
How do you feel - like the Scrooge?
-
Do you try to tell the Biblical Story
of Jesus' birthday?
-
All of it - including the details of
the death of those kids?
-
Are you treated like the enemy?
-
So, with all that pressure, does celebrating
Christmas have a power over you?
II. Is Christmas
just another opportunity to be used for an Occasion to the Flesh?
-
Galatians 5:13
-
Does the Spirit of God lead us to 'do'
Christmas?
-
School / work vacations?
-
foods?
-
drinks?
-
party behaviour becoming a lady, etc.?
-
Buy and spend for the pride of giving?
-
Asking for presents on a list of 'wants.'
-
Music fleshy?
-
Greedy for presents, etc.
III. Does it Edify
-
I Corinthians 10:23
-
II Corinthians 12:19
-
Ephesians 4:12
-
Ephesians 4:16
-
Ephesians 4:29
-
With all the lies of the details of Christmas?
-
the birth is true, but it is all fiction based on a truth!
-
the baby Jesus?
-
another Jesus?
-
a birthday?
-
the 25th of December?
-
anti-christ!
-
Santa?
-
programs at schools, etc.?
-
Emotional stuff?
-
Lies of the Christmas music?
-
Silent night?
-
God rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?
-
Away in a Manger?
-
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing?
-
Good King Wenseslaus?
-
Little Town of Bethlehem?
-
O Holy Night?
-
O Come Immanuel?
-
O Come All Ye Faithful?
-
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear?
-
We Three Kings of Orient Are?
-
While Shepherds Watched the Flocks By Night?
-
Joy to the World?
-
Angels From Realms of Glory?
-
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day?
-
Christmas Tree? Jeremiah 10:1-6
-
Giving Gifts - Being Merry? Revelation 11:10
IV. Does it cause others to Stumble?
-
Santa, etc. and kids
-
debt
-
misplaced importance and values and needs
-
party hearty behaviour
-
merriment vs sober
-
drinking
-
clothes of holidays
Do we take a stand or live with grace?
-
Are people taking a stand that they will not take any stand anymore?
-
Do we have our lives so fleshy that one more won't matter, anyway?
-
Do make a simple decision so difficult with all our justifications?
-
Does NOT doing Christmas cause folks to stumble?
-
What about the warning about tradition in Colossians
2:8?
-
How about the attitude to have towards others in Romans
14:5-12?
-
What about Colossians 2:16?