Welcome to the Pleasant Grove Church. We are located in Houston, Texas. We are grateful for another chance to simply study the word of God. I’m excited that the Lord would bring us together one more time. This is the holiday season. And while it is the holiday season, there are many mixed emotions, especially about Christmas.
So I pray that the Holy Spirit will be given the opportunity to touch our ears, that we might hear, our eyes, that we might see, and most of all, that our hearts would receive and believe God’s word as we allow the Holy Spirit to start this series entitled, why We Celebrate Christmas, why We Celebrate Christmas, and, and that’s a touchy topic for some.
It is a topic that that causes great debate among many. So I pray tonight that, if by chance, you have mixed emotions about Christmas and celebrating Christmas, the Lord would do something special just for you.
This is the hour of power.
So as we, as we consider celebrating Christmas, we know that some people don’t celebrate. Some people don’t celebrate, some people don’t want to have anything to do with Christmas. And then there are those that make excuses for why they don’t celebrate Christmas. Some say Christmas is just too commercial. That that is nothing spiritual about it is just about merchants making money and citizens becoming head over heels in debt. Some say that, that they don’t celebrate Christmas because, in reality, they don’t really understand Christmas, they don’t understand the significance of Christmas.
And, then there are those that won’t celebrate Christmas, but they will embrace the celebration, but they ex out the Christ. So they don’t mind the party, they don’t mind the, uh, the eating. They don’t mind giving gifts. They don’t, they don’t mind the celebration, but they x out the Christ and how offensive I believe it is to the Christ for those two, write an X and then add the m a s xing out the Christ and embracing the X A s, which is the celebration, the m a s the celebration.
So, I believe that, that when we study and when we allow the Holy Spirit to give us an understanding of Christmas, then we want X out Christ and embrace the M and, which is the celebration. So the title to this lesson, this lesson number one in this series, why We Celebrate Christmas is simply entitled The Grace of God, the Grace of God. If you really, really want to know why we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate Christmas because we understand that the Lord has been so gracious unto us. So let’s go to our text. Let, let’s go to the gospel of John chapter three verses 16 and 17. And, and, I believe that you’ll find a great reason, a great motivation to celebrate Christmas. Look what the Lord says through, through John chapter three, verse 16, the writing is in red. So it is Jesus who is the speaker. Jesus says, for God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The 17th verse says that God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might say, what an awesome reason to celebrate Christmas because God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten Son. So I, I, I’m excited about that.
I’m excited that that 16th verse, that 16th verse that says, for God so loved the world, that’s grace. Grace, because the world did not deserve God’s love. And so since the world did not deserve God’s love, that means you. No, I deserved God’s love because we were born into the world. So let’s see, let, let’s see. According to scripture now, people will make many, many arguments, and they will debate their position as to why they don’t celebrate Christmas. Uh, some will say, well, uh, Jesus was not born on December the 25th, and we won’t argue the date, but what we will argue is that he was born. So even if you say it wasn’t the 25th, it is still not wrong to have a day. Since none of us know the exact day, it’s still wonderful. It’s still marvelous to have a day set aside that celebrates the fact, the fact that he was born. So let’s get our bibles. Let’s get our Bibles, and let’s see. Let, let, let’s see why we celebrate Christmas.
Let’s, let’s take our Bibles, and let’s back up to Genesis. Genesis chapter three. Back up to the Book of beginnings, Genesis chapter three. And, and let’s allow the Holy Spirit to establish the Roman numeral number one man’s experience of loss, man’s experience of loss. Genesis chapter three, verse 17. And unto Adam, the Lord said, because thou has Hawken unto the voice of thou wife and has eaten of the tree, of which I commanded the saying, thou shall not eat of it.
Cursed is the ground for thy Satan in sorrow, shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thou face, shall thou eat bread till thou return until the ground for out of it was thou taken? For this, thou are, and thou thus shall thou return. So Jehovah, God is speaking to Adam, and he speaks to Adam in, in such a way because Adam has disobeyed. He disobeyed the Lord God, Jehovah. And because he disobeyed, because he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that the Lord had commanded him to not eat of, he had a loss, a loss.
He lost. He lost, he lost fellowship with the Almighty God. Adam had experienced the Lord walking with him in the coolness of the day. He had this special spiritual fellowship where he, that is almighty, he that is sovereign, supreme, and supernatural. And, and because Adam disobeyed the cause, Adam eight of the forbidden tree, he lost, he lost that wonderful fellowship for when the Lord came walking it, it was Adam that hid himself along with Eve from the presence of God. He lost. He lost not only the fellowship, but he lost holiness. The Bible says his eyes came open, his eyes came open, and he realized that he was naked because, in the state of holiness, it was not a point, uh, of interest that he was naked, but his eyes came open and he beholds the world from a whole different perspective. His holiness fell off. He lost not only his holiness, but he lost paradise because the Lord escorted Adam and Eve out of paradise and outside of paradise. Now he has to work by the sweat of his brow. So he lost. He lost this special fellowship with the Almighty God. He lost his holiness.
He lost paradise. And finally, he lost eternal life. So that was a great loss, a great loss. This great loss caused a separation from the Almighty God and this sinful man. So what a great loss. And the loss came due to Adam’s disobedience. That’s why it’s imperative even in our lives, to be obedient or obedience. Obedience is better than sacrifice. It is obedience that obligates the Lord to bless us. And, and so many of us, miss our special blessings because of disobedience. So man is still losing when he disobeys the Almighty God. So, so number one man’s experience of loss, but let’s allow the Holy Ghost established. Number two, Roman Nuer, number two man’s experience of light. Because after he loses, he’s now in the world that is a world of darkness.
So come on, let’s go to Matthews gospel. Let’s go to Matthew’s Gospel, chapter four, Matthew’s Gospel, chapter four, and let’s allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to verse 16, Matthews’s Gospel, chapter four, verse 16 because Jesus has come on the scene. He, he’s been born on Christmas morning. He has begun his ministry.
He’s 30 years old. He has begun his ministry, the 16th, verse seven, the people which sat in darkness saw a great light. Look what it says. And to them, which sat in the region and shadow of death light sprung in because once Adam fell in the garden, once Adam became disobedient to the all almighty God, he lost. He lost. And because he lost, every one of us was conceded in sin and shaping iniquity. So all of us, all of us were born under a cloud of darkness because our father, Adam, failed in the garden because he failed. He lost, and because he lost, we were conceived in sin and shaping iniquity. In other words, David is explaining that we came here deserving to go to hell.
But then Jesus came on the scene. Jesus comes on the scene, and as he comes on the scene, he comes as the great light, the great light the scripture says in that 16 verse, the people which sat in darkness saw great, great light. And long as a man is without Jesus, who is the Christ, he or she is sitting in darkness. But thank God for grace, grace brings Jesus who is the Christ to a man in darkness. And the light springs up. , I’m excited that he came. I’m so grateful for the grace, and because of that grace, I am motivated to celebrate Christmas.
I have a reason to celebrate it. It is, it is not about a tree. It’s not about some Santa Claus. It’s not about, uh, some material gifts being wrapped in placed under a tree. It’s not about, uh, twinkling lights. It’s about Jesus who is the Christ who comes into this dark world and brings the divine light. And if that divine light has shined into your life, then you ought to have a real good reason to celebrate Christmas, ah, man’s experience of light. And let me tell you, once we are saved, we know the distinct difference between darkness and light. I, I, I know who I was and what I was in darkness, and I know now who I am and whose I am, and what I am in the light. Thank God for the light. And, and whenever Jesus who is the Christ came into your life, that was the moment of your true Christmas. What a blessing. What a blessing for the light to spring in and push back the darkness.
So thank God Jesus came as the light, and because he came as the light, that’s grace. Because surely I did not deserve him to come into my filthy life. I didn’t deserve him to come into this body that was under a cloud of darkness. I did not deserve for him to come and move inside this trash can. But thank God because the father so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son now who whoever believers in him would not perish, but have eternal life. I I, I don’t know about you. I I, I’m shouting about Christmas. I’m so grateful that I know that I am wonderfully blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas. Not, not, not talking about drinking eggnog, not talking about getting drunk or falling down, uh, in my own puke. I’m not talking about trying to party hard all night long, not talking about trying to eat until I’m in a state of sin. No Uhuh. I’m talking about celebrating the fact that Christ came into my life, that he took a seat on the throne of my life. And because of his life, he brought to light that pushed back the darkness that engulfed me. So I don’t know how you feel about, I, I have a reason to celebrate Christmas. I got a reason to celebrate Christmas. Now, one thing we know, we know that, uh, he was born, he was born. He was born. And the morning he was born is called Christmas morning.
So I have a reason, I have a reason. I have a reason to celebrate Christmas because of the number one man’s experience of loss. And then number two, man’s experience of light. We ought to celebrate Christmas because we remember when we were in the dark. And now that he has ushered us into his marvelous light, we have a reason to celebrate. Well, let me give you this third one. Come on. Uh, this third one. Let’s, let’s go to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter two. Let’s go to Ephesians, Ephesians chapter two, and, and let’s allow the Holy Ghost to focus our eyes on verse one, Ephesians chapter two and verse one, as the apostle Paul, the anointing of the Holy Ghost speaks to us, look what he says in verse one. And you had, he quickened, I pray you don’t miss this, and you whom he has quickened, look what he said, who were dead in trespasses and sins. That’s every one of us. That’s every one of us. We were, we were born dead and in trespasses and sins.
But thank God for the quickening, the quickening, the quickening. So that gives us Roman Nuer, the number three man’s experience of life. Man’s experience of life. Because as the apostles say, we were dead. We were dead. We were in the darkness because our father lost paradise. He lost eternal life. And so all of us were born sinners deserving to go to hell. The apostle said, and you, you, so I oughta be personal. You oughta put your name right there. And, and, and children had he quicker who was dead in trespasses and says, what a perfect, uh, depletion of my life. And if you are safe, what a perfect depiction of your life. You were dead in trespasses and sin. And the only reason why you have life is that the Holy Ghost has quickened you.
That’s the reason why I am alive. He has quickened me. And, and that quicken simply means to be made alive. We were born dead. We were conceived in sin and shaped in iniquity. We, came out of our mother’s womb deserving to go to hell. But when we accepted Jesus, Christ as the Savior and the Lord of our lives, we had our first Christmas. We had our first Christmas because we were quicken. And as we were quickened, now we know that we were dead in trespasses and sins, but now we are made alive. And if you are alive, then you ought to be motivated to celebrate Christmas. Don’t, don’t fall into the dark trap of the satanic excuses that it’s to commercialize you. You don’t have to spend any money to celebrate Christmas. You don’t have to get in the mob and, and shop till you drop to celebrate Christmas. You don’t have to get so drunk until you fall on your face. You don’t have to charge your cards up until they are beyond the limit to celebrate Christmas. You celebrate Christmas because the Lord has quickened you. You celebrate Crips Christmas because he has made you alive. Since I’m alive, then ought to celebrate. I’ll act like it all, not act like I’m still dead in trespasses and sin all that I’m alive. And I’m alive because of Jesus, who is the Christ who paid for all of my sins on that hill called Cal.
So that’s the reason why I am alive. I’m alive and the only one that can make me alive. His name is Jesus. So I pray that, that you are excited about Christmas. I pray that you won’t allow darkness to put you in the dumps, to make you be depressed. Uh, and many when it comes to Christmas can’t celebrate because dad is gone. Mom is gone, or another loved one is gone. Or because, uh, we don’t have what we thought we oughta have. No, no, no. We, we, we celebrate because of what he has done for us personally. What he has done for us personally and what he did for you personally. If you are safe, he quickens you. He quickens you. He made you alive. And if you are alive, you know, there’s a distinct difference between now being alive, being quickened, and how you were when you were dead in trespasses and sins. So, so we have, we have, a reason to celebrate Christmas because of Jesus, who is our Christ, and what he has done for us. So, so let me close, let, let, let’s go back. Let’s go back to John chapter three. Come back to that 16th verse.
Come back to that 16th verse, John chapter three, verse 16th. Let’s, let’s come back, and let’s get ready to close out this lesson. Jesus says in that 16th verse, for God so loved the world, he so loved the world. He so loved you, that he gave his only begotten son. And you know who that is? That is Jesus, who is the Christ whom whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. So if by chance you are still depressed from last year because you didn’t get the gift that you thought you deserved, you, you, you were disappointed because you didn’t get the full lin mink coat. You didn’t get the Mr. These Benz, you, you didn’t get the diamond ring. You didn’t get the vacation trip. But, but if you are Quicken, then you know you received the most wonderful gift in the universe. The Lord gave you eternal life. Isn’t that good news? Now? Come on. You ought to be getting ready to celebrate. He says, he says, whosoever except him should not perish on behalf of everlasting life. He says in the 17th verse, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world.
Jesus Christ didn’t come to condemn us. He didn’t come to beat us down because of our sins. He didn’t come to kick us around because of our shortcomings. But look what he did, but that the world through him might be saved. I, I, I’ve got a real good reason to celebrate Christmas because Jesus, who the Christ didn’t come to condemn me, he came to save me. And because I accepted his invitation, he quickened me. He made me alive. So you know what that tells me? When man was in complete darkness, when man had no hope, when man was on his way to hell, God came himself. He didn’t send Gabriel or Michael. He came himself. He not only came himself, but he also came sensitive to man’s needs. Man needed saving man needed a savior. Man needed the perfect sacrifice. He came himself. He came sensitive to our needs. He came to share out of his substance. Everything he has.
He, brought it to share with us. He came to serve us. And then ultimately, he came to give mankind a second chance because the first Adam failed in the garden and he lost. But because of Jesus Christ who came on Christmas morning, divinity wrapped in a suit of humanity, married, wrapped him in rags, and laid him in a fire. He came to be our savior. He came to be our perfect sacrifice. He came to give us the gift of eternal life. So we have a really good reason to celebrate because we were dead. But now we are quickened. We are made alive. And if you are alive, you ought to be celebrating how good he is, how gracious he is, how great he is. God bless you.
I pray that the Lord has added some power to your life.