What is the Heart of Christmas?

The thought of Christmas causes many responses. The problem is that if not careful we can have a “conditioned response.” A very famous study showed how a dog was taught to salivate just when he hears a bell ring. No food needed to be present. There was also a story about a cancer patient that acquired a conditioned response. She experienced such bad nausea each time she left her doctor’s office, that even several months after all of her treatments were over, she ran into the doctor at a grocery store…seeing him she immediately threw up! Perhaps in a time of emergency a conditioned response might be good, but in most cases we need to respond consciously so we understand what we are feeling. Many kick into an automatic response at Christmas…and miss the meaning of this time of year.

Christmas is not a day, it represents a way of life. It is healthy to stop now

and rethink what this Christmas meant to you. Many things can steal what Christmas should be.

Here are several thefts of Christmas

* Busyness

* Obsessed with gifts- giving or getting

* Parties - –wanting to go – hating to go – hosting too many

* Family – wanting to see…hoping not to see

* Movie Magic

None of these things are evil in themselves, but they can rob us from what God desires us to experience as we celebrate the life of His Son.

Some years ago I read this - "Some businessmen are saying that this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought that the first one was."

Looking how sad it has become brought my focus to a passage that has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, but sheds a lot of light on the problem we have today

Acts 17:16–23 “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.”

There are two specific groups mentioned here, and I think we still have them today.

Epicureans - Meaning "a helper: defender" Believed in gods, but no interest in earth. Fulfill pleasure and don't worry about future!

* Sounds very familiar – Don’t worry about debt just fulfill your desires. How many men and women have broken their marriage vows at a Christmas Party?

Stoics - Meaning "of the portico.” God is everywhere, live with nature, brotherhood of man. (no sin nature)

* Sounds very familiar – We all have our own way to God, and the ultimate end is to all live together.

Who God is has been lost by many: I met a young person who thought Jesus was a man with a big white beard and lived at the north pole.

The saddest epitaph I ever read was: “To a Unknown God.”

John makes it clear that God desires to be known.

John 1:1 &14:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Not a thought, not an idea, not a feeling = Flesh In Him is life – this life is the light

After Neil Armstrong had taken his `one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind' by stepping onto the surface of the moon, the President of the United States said: "The planting of human feet on the moon is the greatest moment in human history," Sometime later Billy Graham set the record straight during one of his crusade meetings.  "With all due respect to the President of the United States, the greatest moment in human history was not when man set foot on the moon, but when the infinite eternal God set foot on the earth in Jesus of Nazareth."

What is the heart of Christmas?

Our heart! - That determines what Christmas really means to us.

* It had been a hear day a normal day.  Sheep wandering off, maybe even fighting off a hungry bear or lion.  Now that it was dark and the sheep were down for the long cold night, they could relax a little.  Still keeping an eye open for any unwanted visitors.  They may have talked about their day or maybe how the census that Caesar Augustus required was causing so many people to travel.  As they were speaking something wonderful happened.

Luke 2:8–20 tells the story of shepherds in a filed that were told of Jesus, let’s learn from their hearts.

{1} The Willing Heart     * Responds to God

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The shepherds may not have thought the Messiah would come this way…but their heart was willing to learn!

What do you do when you find out you were wrong?

The difference is seen in Paul and the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin paid the guards to lie, Paul asked God what He wanted him to do? There is a huge difference between being Hard Headed (Paul) versus being Hard Hearted (Sanhedrin)

{2} The Willing heart * Reports about God

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished

The shepherds were eager to share with others Who God is!

How easily does your relationship with Jesus enter conversations you have?

As I watched individuals during the wedding all different kind of reactions / tears / smiles / all different kinds of people were reacting in different ways, except one group of individuals. The married women. All of them at one time or another during the wedding looked up at their husband with a glaze in their eyes, tilted there head and gave this slight smile and then like the doggies in the back windows of automobiles with the spring necks do / they just kinda started floating. Even the maid of honor did it,(husband was in balcony) All were connected by a common experience / It was not something they had heard about or dreamed about or even something they were hoping for. Each and everyone of those ladies were remembering their wedding day. The experience was real and still has an impact on them now.

That is what a relationship with Christ will give you, a common experience of eternal life!

{3} The Willing heart * Rejoices because OF God

The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

What brings you greater joy, what God gives you or God Himself?

There is a sad true story from years ago. A wealthy couple was celebrating a christening party for their baby. They opened their beautiful home to family and friends. As the party was moving along and the people were having a wonderful time eating and drinking and celebrating and enjoying one another, somebody said, `By the way, where is the baby?' The heart of that mother jumped, and she instantly left the room and rushed into the master bedroom…where all the coats of the guest had been piled onto the bed. Sadly, that is where she had left her baby sleeping, the child smothered.

Don’t smother Jesus out of your Christmas. He desires a very intimate and personal relationship with each of you. 

Meditation:

1. What area of your life are you willing to open up to God that He does not have yet?

2. How willing will you be to share with others what Christmas really

means to you?

3. What are you willing to do to make this Christmas more about Him?