12/14/14 Sunday's Sermon Notes

I gotta tell ya, I LOVE Christmas.  I love the decorations, the lights, the baking of goodies, the pageants and plays and programs.  Oh, and lets not forget the music, I love the music, but most of all, I love the reason for this big celebration - JESUS.

Pastor Randy's message yesterday (12/14/14) was about how we, and others around the world, celebrate Jesus' birth.  As Pastor stated, all of our decorating and preparing should remind us of the simplicity of the birth of our Savior.  Just as we are preparing to celebrate, God also planned and prepared for the birth of His one and only Son.

Here are some of the verses I jotted down from Sundays sermon:

Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. 

Hebrews 1:1-3
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.    

Hebrews 2:1-4
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? 

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  

Pastor also mentioned that he had read that the song  The 12 Days of Christmas had a hidden meaning for christians in the dark ages.  I have a children's book that tells this story.  I've added some notes from it HERE.

Finally, however you plan to spend this wonderful celebration, whether it be by going all out with decorating or by shunning all decorating, just DON'T FORGET THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CELEBRATION - JESUS.

Have a blessed week.