Good evening. As we continue to focus on this Holiday, I want to share 3 Grinches that steal our Christmas. Just like the movie The Grinch, we have things today that act like the Grinch and steal our Christmas away from us.
Before we begin, let’s open with a word of prayer.
What are some things that you feel can steal our Christmas away form us?
Well, the first Grinch that I want to discuss is The Politically Correct Grinch. What can you guess the politically correct Grinch might be?
Well, Chapter 2 of Matthew is the classic Grinch chapter. In this chapter we learn of Herod and his plot to kill Christ from the very beginning. About 2 years after the birth of Christ, Magi come and Herod finds out about the birth of Christ. He tells them to return and tell him where the baby is, so that he can go and worship Him as well. However, the wise men do not return to Herod. Well, Herod realizes that the Magi outsmarted him and that brings us to Matthew 2:16-18. Here in Matthew 2:16-18 it says, “1”
We have even become politically correct in the community around us. Christmas Break has now become Winter Break. Stores are now not supposed to say “Merry Christmas”. Instead they are told to say “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings”. Now if you think about that, Season’s Greetings is a very generic way of saying things. It could be used of any season. Perhaps we should say season’s greetings as we approach opening day of Deer season. Season’s Greetings can be said about the beginning of the seasons, and any holiday that we celebrate.
People will say not to show the Christian theme as to not offend people of other beliefs. Pepsi cola recently released a new pop can that was a patriotic can. On this can they placed the Pledge Of Allegiance. They did however leave out the “Under God” part of the pledge.
After many complaints, Pepsi put out a statement that said that they did not want to force Christians beliefs on anyone. They did not want to offend people by saying God on their cans of pop. After that news release, I got an e-mail that said we should not buy Pepsi. The reason is that we do not want to offend anyone by sending them our money that says “in God we trust.”
So we find that the politically correct Grinch is one of the Grinches that steal our Christmas.
For the next Grinch let’s all turn to Luke 10:38-42. Here in this passage we read about Mary and Martha. Luke 10:38-42 says, “2”
What do you think the second Grinch is?
The second one is The Preoccupied Grinch. How can being preoccupied be a Grinch that can steal our Christmas?
Maybe she should have prepared in advance, so that when Christ came she would be able to serve Him and be with Him. It is important that we do not confuse activity with spirituality. We can be very active, and it can be productive for Christ, and yet we can be preoccupied and not really be spiritual.
Instead of being preoccupied, we need to look at Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
This in a way goes back to this morning and the idea of prioritizing things this Christmas season. As Christians we need to steal Christmas back from the politically correct Grinches and realize that Christmas is all about Christ. We need to not be preoccupied and we need to see that Christmas is about Christ. Luke 2:11 says, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
I have talked to several of you about the idea that was in the Lexington Paper a couple of weeks ago. The front page of the Lexington paper in Bold letters said something to the effect of, “Churches that forget Christmas or churches that skip Christmas”
If you don’t know, several of the larger churches got together and have decided to cancel services on Sunday December 25th. The reason is that they are preoccupied with satisfying people wanting to spend time with families. They are missing something that is right in front of them just like Martha was….
(Go on about this)
So, this Christmas season, we need to not be preoccupied and we need to focus on the things that matter. We need to spend time with God, with loved ones, helping others. Make your prayer the prayer that asks God to help you to keep the main thing the main thing.
And finally, the last Grinch that I want to look at this evening is The Perfectionist Grinch. How does this perfectionist Grinch steal Christmas away from us?
We want the perfect decorations, the perfect gift, the perfect everything, and we want it so bad that we allow the idea of perfection to steal our Christmas away from us. I can just see Mary and Joseph had they been focused on perfection. I can hear them now. Are the donkeys in the right spot, the hay laid down alright, is the lighting okay, do we have plenty of potpourri, you know those shepherds are coming, and you know that they smell really baaaaaaad.
Well, here are 3 steps to take to keep from being a perfectionist.
1. Free yourself from the fixation that everything you do must be perfect. No one is able to be perfect. Christ was the only one, and it is impossible for us to be perfect. So we need to free ourselves from the fixation that everything we do must be perfect.
2. Free yourself from the feeling that everything around you must be perfect. The decorations, the tree, the gifts, even the people around you do not have to be perfect. The main thing needs to be the main thing. We need to focus on Christ.
3. Free yourself from the idea that everyone around you must be perfect. Again, there is no one that is perfect except for Christ. We need to get away from the idea that everyone around us must be perfect.
Well, as we end this evening, I want to end with a few questions that will spark some discussion. Hopefully we will gain a lot out of our discussion.
1. What is the biggest Grinch that we have looked at this evening that steals your Christmas? Would it be the Politically Correct Grinch, the Preoccupied Grinch, or the Perfectionist Grinch, and why?
2. What are some other ways to avoid being robbed by these grinches this Christmas?
Politically Correct Grinch? Preoccupied Grinch? Perfectionist Grinch?
In conclusion I would like to read the passage for December 24, from my Devotions for sports fans book.
(Devotions for sports fans, Dec. 24)
…. Let’s Pray |
