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Love getting to sing those great Christmas carols.
Thank you all for leading us in that.
We've been talking about those at Southwood this Christmas season.
Some of our favorite Christmas carols and how they point us to great biblical truths about our Savior who was born at Christmas.
Tonight was an easy decision in that regard.
Had to go with Silent Night, right?
We're going to sing it together in a few minutes at the end of the service.
But you may actually be thinking, well, I don't know, Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.
It doesn't sound like a lot of Christmas Eves I've known.
If you were here in the first service that had a greater proportion of young children,
you would have said there was nothing silent about any part of that service, including this one.
It doesn't seem very descriptive, perhaps, of many Christmas Eves that you have known.
Silent and holy and calm and bright.
In some ways, it's not descriptive of the first Christmas Eve either, is it?
We know as Mary labors over the birth of Jesus, it was not a silent night.
Anybody who thinks it was a silent night has never been in a delivery room or tried to sleep the nights that follow a baby's birth.
It's just not what it's like.
But it was certainly a holy night.
How can we be so sure of that?
Well, in the Bible, something being holy is not determined by a complex formula.
It's not good deeds weighted over against mistakes factor in level of Bible knowledge and relative holiness comes in.
That's not how it works.
Now, what makes something holy is God showing up.
His presence.
The temple in Jerusalem, for example, wasn't holy because of all the gold and jewels and so forth,
the expensive things used to make it,
it became holy when God showed up to dwell there.
So what would make this night holy for you is not just going into a church building,
not just dressing up in your Christmas best,
not even just being together with family as special as that can be.
It doesn't make it holy.
It would be God showing up with you that would make this night holy.
God's Word tells us unequivocally that's what happened that first Christmas night.
John chapter 1,
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 have seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
The Son of God loves pure light,
has come to earth,
in a manger,
in Bethlehem,
and so it's holy.
God is there.
That's my desire for each of us tonight.
Whether your night is silent or not,
I can't control that.
But my heart would be,
my desire would be,
that for each of you,
this night would be holy.
And some of you may say,
No thanks, Pastor.
I don't care at all for my night to be holy.
I'm only in this room because my family dragged me here.
I've had, in fact, quite enough religion.
Thank you.
I don't need another ritual.
I don't need another person telling me how I must live my life.
That's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about tonight being holy because God,
the one you've wondered about,
or kept at arm's length,
or perhaps been running from lately,
even though you know that you need Him,
He shows up.
Because when Jesus shows up in our lives,
it changes everything.
It's very different from getting religion.
When He shows up,
that person,
that relationship,
is the gift that keeps on giving.
That's really the one thing
I want us to see tonight
about God entering into our lives.
We'll see it in Galatians chapter 4.
Galatians 4, starting at verse 4.
But when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth His Son.
This is Christmas, right?
God saying,
now is the right time.
The song we're going to sing at the end,
Silent Night,
calls it the dawn of redeeming grace.
God decides this is the perfect moment for Him
to send His Son
to enter into our world.
And grace dawns in our lives.
What's the result of it for us
when that happens?
Keep reading here.
God sent forth His Son,
born of woman,
born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Jesus comes to bring us into a relationship,
to make us sons and daughters of God,
to redeem us and adopt us.
Adoption then is the gift that keeps on giving.
I read just this week the story of an adoption
in a town right outside of Birmingham.
It's the story of 11-year-old Maya.
Maya was asked this year,
like many of you kids might have been,
to make a list for Santa.
What did she want for Christmas?
Did any of you do that this week?
Some of you made a list and gave it to somebody?
Some of you did.
Raise your hand.
Okay, yeah, okay.
Some of you adults did.
And you know what was on Maya's list?
Three things.
A sweatsuit,
a water bottle,
and a forever family.
That's what she wanted.
Those three things.
You know why?
Because Maya,
in her 11 years,
had spent them bouncing around
from foster family,
to foster home,
to group home,
one place after another,
always moving,
never staying anywhere,
very long.
But last week,
her foster family
was able to adopt her.
Got a picture of that family here.
Can we put that picture up
on the screen for us?
There it is.
She is here on the far left.
That's Maya.
You can't probably read that,
but she's holding a sign
that says,
Merry Christmas to me.
I'm now an adoptee.
That's her Christmas present.
Her new mom said,
now she gets to have
that feeling of forever
and stability.
She is home forever.
Isn't that so much better
than a sweatsuit
or a water bottle?
Isn't that a better gift?
See, because getting a family
at Christmas
is a gift
that keeps on giving
because she'll get other gifts
like a sweatsuit
and a water bottle
some other time, right?
And probably a lot
of other gifts.
When else do you think
she might get gifts?
Not just at Christmas,
but probably on her birthday
and maybe on Valentine's Day
or Easter
or who knows,
maybe just some days
just because her parents love her.
They'll give her other gifts.
That's what it means
that she's now their child.
Getting a person,
a relationship,
being adopted for Christmas
is the gift
that keeps on giving.
That's the glory of Christmas.
God doesn't send His Son
into the world
with a few one-time gifts.
You know,
forgiveness for a single sin
if you can think of a big one.
Maybe a second chance at life
so be good for goodness sake.
A meal to fill your stomach
for one day.
No.
Jesus comes to invite us
into a family.
To seat us at the King's table forever.
To invite us into an eternal relationship
as sons and daughters
of a heavenly Father.
Watch how this happens
in Galatians 4
as we keep reading.
Because you are sons,
what happens?
God has sent the Spirit of His Son
into our hearts
crying,
Abba, Father.
So you're no longer a slave
but a son.
And if a son,
then an heir
through God.
We become God's sons
and the gifts just keep on coming,
don't they?
Because He loves us so much.
God gives us the first Christmas gift.
He wraps Himself
in flesh.
Enters into our world
as a baby
in a manger.
God gives Himself
to us
as the gift
that keeps on giving
because when we receive
the gift of Jesus,
when redeeming grace
dawns in your heart
for the first time,
for the hundredth time,
then in that moment
getting through life,
doing enough things
to be significant,
getting back to God
and knowing Him
is no longer
on us anymore.
If Jesus has come
for you,
He's taken care
of all of that.
That's what grace
means.
It's not about you
cleaning yourself up
and figuring life out
and working yourself
to the bone
only to come up tired
and disappointed again.
It's about you being loved
and adopted
even though you could
never be good enough
to earn your way
into His holy family.
That's grace.
It's not up to you
to find a way back to God.
No.
Christmas is that God
has come
and found a way
to you.
He wanted you
to be in His family
so He sent
His own Son
and took care
of all the legalities,
all the issues,
all the paperwork,
went all the way
to the cross
and gave His life
in order to make
that happen
to have you
in His family.
I couldn't possibly list
all the other gifts
that come with that
but when God
gives Himself to us,
brings us into His family,
we see He gives us
His Spirit
in our hearts
so that we recognize
Him as our Father
and are helped
to trust and follow Him.
He gives us access
to the God
of the universe
whenever we want
to talk with Him.
We can just cry out
and He hears us.
He gives us
our daily bread
every single day
and provides
for whatever other needs
we may encounter.
He gives us
loving discipline
that molds our hearts
and at the same time
never rejects us
because we are His.
He gives us forgiveness
of all of our sins
because Jesus has paid
for all of them,
the big ones
and the small ones,
the past ones
and the future ones.
He's paid for all of them
and He gives us
an eternal inheritance
that can never perish
or spoil
or fade,
kept in heaven
for us
who have been made
heirs
of the King
of heaven
who owns it all.
and now we're not
just sons,
we're heirs.
All of those gifts
and many more,
every spiritual blessing,
all of the things
you have
to be grateful for
came wrapped
in that one gift
of Himself
that God gave us
that first Christmas.
He came to redeem us
and give us adoption
as sons
so that we have
a new home
forever.
Listen,
I want this to be
a holy night
for all of us,
for each
and every one of you.
And for some of you,
you haven't experienced
what I'm talking about.
You've never known
a relationship
with God
like that
as His child.
Listen,
we're really glad
you're here.
I've got good news
for you too.
You don't have
to figure that out.
It's not up to you
to fix yourself
and make yourself
good enough for Him
and work your way
into His family.
No,
He is still
adopting
children
into His family
and that is
good news.
He is loving
people,
welcoming them
in
because He's
like that.
And this night
can be holy
for you
because God
can welcome
you
into His family
for the first time.
The sign
of Christmas
for you
this year
can be
Merry Christmas
to me.
I'm now
an adoptee
not just
of an earthly
family
but adopted
by a Heavenly Father
who will never
ever stop
loving you.
Many of us
in here
already know
our Heavenly Father
but this night
needs to be
holy
for us
too.
Many of us
have known
our Heavenly Father
for many years
by faith in Jesus.
We've trusted Him
and been adopted
into His family
but if we're honest
it doesn't necessarily
feel holy
lately.
Maybe because
of sin
in your heart
longing
for other
things
more
than
for your
Father's
home.
Maybe it's
grief
struggles
of this
life
have you
stressed
or exhausted
ready to give up.
We
need
tonight
to be
holy
too
don't we?
We need
God
to show up
and make this
a holy
night
and the good news
for us
is that it
is
because He
has
He is
here
by His
Spirit
He has
come to
meet with
us
He has
set this
table
and He's
invited you
as it were
to pull up
a chair
and have a
seat at
this table
where you
eat
with your
family
at your
Father's
table
forever.
You can
finally
be home.
you can
finally
eat
and know
the love
of your
Father
who if
He gave
His
Son for
you
how will
He not
also
along with
Him
graciously
give you
everything
you need?
He'll
keep
caring
for you.
That
gift
will
keep
on
giving
every
moment
of
every
day
through
your
life
and
forever
you will
finally
have a
forever
home
He says
you will
dwell
in the
house
of the
Lord
forever.
That's
what having
a father
means.
Jesus
came and
gave Himself
so you
could be
in that
family.
Remember
what He
said
when He
came
for you.
That first
night that
He was
betrayed
He
looked at
His
disciples
and said
this
is
my
body.
He
took that
bread
and said
it's not
going to
be yours.
He
broke
the bread
this is
my
body
given
for you.
Do
this
in
remembrance
of
me.
And
after
supper
He
took
the
cup
and
He
said
because
of
all
the
things
you've
done
you know
your
blood
should
have
to
be
shed
and
sacrifice
after
sacrifice
you've
seen
it
happen.
He
said
this
cup
is
a
new
covenant
it's
in
my
blood
shed
for
many
for
the
forgiveness
of
sins
not
your
blood
shed
anymore
for
your
sins
but
His
death
until
He
comes.
You
proclaim
that
what
you
need
is
His
death
in
your
place
so
that
you
can
be
brought
into
your
Father's
family.
This
is the
table
of
God
the
Father
set
for
us
by
the
Son
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
in
His
body
and
blood
so
if
you
know
Him
if
you
are
a
part
of
that
family
by
faith
in
Him
whether
you
are
a
part
of
that
family
in
this
particular
church
or
any
other
church
that
preaches
the
good
news
that
you
can
be
in
God's
family
by
grace
by
faith
in
Jesus
then
come
and
celebrate
with
us
tonight
that
your
Father
loves
you
if
you
don't
know
Jesus
if
that's
not
your
story
then
we
don't
want
to
ask
you
to
come
and
do
outwardly
something
that's
not
true
of
you
inwardly
but
we
are
so
glad
that
you're
here
with
us
tonight
and
we
would
love
for
you
to
be
able
to
come
and
be
a
part
of
this
with
us
when
people
come
forward
each
family
or
group
of
friends
will
gather
as
a
small
group
around
this
table
and
we're
going
to
pray
for
every
one
of
you
and
so
if
you'd
like
just
to
come
and
have
a
chance
for
us
to
pray
with
you
we
would
love
to
be
able
to
do
that
tonight
so
when
the
ushers
invite
you
to
come
forward
and
back
please
feel
free
to
do
that
and
we
will
pray
with
you
as
you
come
if
you're
not
able
if
it's
difficult
for
you
to
come
to
these
tables
tonight
just
let
the
usher
know
when
he
gets
to
your
row
we
would
be
delighted
to
bring
the
supper
to
you
right
where
you
are
let
me
pray
and
then
we'll
celebrate
together
Jesus
thank you
that tonight
is holy
because you
are here
because you
have come
and given
yourself
for us
and sent
us
your
spirit
that we
would
remember
your
love
so
would
you
use
these
very
common
elements
of bread
and
juice
for
that
holy
purpose
in
our
hearts
that
we
would
meet
with
you
and
know
and
taste
your
love
we
ask
it
in
your
name
amen
let's
celebrate
his
love
together
for more
information
visit us
online
at
southwood.org