{"id":298,"date":"2023-04-05T15:58:02","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T15:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=298"},"modified":"2026-01-26T17:05:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:05:56","slug":"christmas-changes-our-lives","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/christmas-changes-our-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"CHRISTMAS CHANGES OUR LIVES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christmas Changes Our Lives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRISTMAS CHANGES EVERYTHING \u2014 Series: Message #1<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 9:6-7, Titus 2:11-14<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTRODUCTION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it that makes Christmas special to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Is it the sounds? The familiar music and seasonal songs, is it those classic holiday melodies or faith-filled hymns that play on the radio, in the stores, and in your head at this time of the year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Or, is it the sights? The decor of a tree, the red and green that drape the streets and fill out homes., or maybe the glistening of tonsil on the trees  or the way the windows frost and the sparkle of the lights that drape the homes within your neighborhood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Or, is it the smells of\u2026fresh cut pine, or the way cinnamon and ginger fill our homes? Is it the smells of Christmas cookies or pies wafting through the air as the seasonal baking takes place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Or, is it the shows for you? Shows like Frosty the Snow Man, or A Charlie Brown Christmas. Or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, or maybe for those of you with more sophisticated palate, it\u2019s White Christmas, or Holiday Inn or It\u2019s a Wonderful Life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Or maybe its something more\u2026more than the sounds, the sights, the smells, and the shows. Could it be that the most significant thing that makes Christmas special is the love of God, and the gift of the Savior?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MESSAGE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real point and promise of this season is the incredible love shown by God, demonstrated through the incredible gift of our Savior, Jesus. The real meaning of Christmas isn’t the traditions or trappings of this time of the year, the real meaning of Christmas is the coming of Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are so many places within the Bible that speak of Christ\u2019s coming\u2026from the promises found in Genesis, to the prophetic words of of the Old Testament, the eye-witness accounts of the gospels, to the detailed expressions of the epistles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And each week, we will explore different passages and stories that point to Jesus and His first coming. But today, I want to look at two places in Scripture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first comes from the prophetic words of Isaiah. And then we\u2019ll conclude by connecting that passage with the words of Paul to one of his protege\u2019s in ministry \u2014 a pastor named Titus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you have your Bible \u2014 turn with me (first), to the Old Testament book of Isaiah. We\u2019ll be in chapter 9. A familiar passage for sure. And in verse 2, we read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 <\/em><\/strong>The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want you to note the the climate and culture to which Isaiah was describing. He is forecasting that time when Christ would enter our world. And of that time, he says \u2014 it is a world filled with darkness\u2026that\u2019s a world without light, without hope, without any expectation of promise, or future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For, it\u2019s in the midst of the mundane and debilitating darkness of a world ravaged by sin and selfishness that Christ would come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, in verse 6, Isaiah says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6<\/em><\/strong> For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7<\/em><\/strong> Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David\u2019s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we consider the mystery and majesty of Christ\u2019s coming at Christmas \u2014 let\u2019s remember that this wasn\u2019t some random event in history. But rather, this was something God had been planning since the beginning of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This passage in Isaiah is joy one of literally hundreds of prophesies that God gave us concerning the coming of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of his coming was to provide us with a gift \u2014 the best gift ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just curious, how many of your prepare a Christmas list of the things you\u2019d like for Christmas? Well, it doesn\u2019t matter how good that list may be \u2014 there\u2019s no comparison to the gift God\u2019s offers us through Christmas. In Titus 2:11-14, the apostle Paul writes a <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first part of this chapter, he tells us how to live for Christ, how to work for Christ, and how to lead for Christ (v. 1-10). And here, in these verses, Paul says \u2014 the reason we can do all of those things \u2014 is Because of Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look at it with me. Titus 2:11-14. Here Paul writes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11 <\/em><\/strong>For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. <\/em>12 <\/em><\/strong>It teaches us to say \u201cNo\u201d to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, <\/em>13 <\/em><\/strong>while we wait for the blessed hope\u2014the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, <\/em>14 <\/em><\/strong>who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, Paul says \u2014 because Jesus has come<\/em> (and has brought salvation as a gift for all people), everything has changed! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that long list of change begins with our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas changes our lives! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this morning, in the time that remains, I want to give you 3 reasons why Christmas changes our lives. And the first one is this, because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. GOD GIVES US WHAT WE DON’T DESERVE\u2026ETERNAL LIFE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know what that\u2019s called? It\u2019s called GRACE! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply defined, GRACE is God\u2019s unmerited favor; it\u2019s God giving us what we don\u2019t deserve. And God\u2019s ultimate act of grace towards us began with Jesus setting aside his rights and His position as God, to come \u2014 and becoming a man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t miss this fact, He didn\u2019t have to do that. He didn\u2019t have to come\u2026but rather, He chose to come. In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5<\/em><\/strong> In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6<\/em><\/strong> Who, <\/em>being in very nature God<\/em>, did not consider equality with God <\/em>something to be used to his own advantage<\/em>; <\/em>7<\/em><\/strong> rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8<\/em><\/strong> And being found in appearance as a man, <\/em>he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death\u2014even death on a cross<\/em>! <\/em>9<\/em><\/strong> Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, <\/em>10<\/em><\/strong> that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, <\/em>11<\/em><\/strong> and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, Paul says \u2014 Christmas didn\u2019t have to happen! It wasn\u2019t a divine requirement, it was a divine offering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus voluntarily left the fellowship of heaven for the frailty of a human body. He exchanged immortal comforts to be laid in a feeding trough. But he didn\u2019t come to heap shame upon us \u2014 but rather to break break with us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He came because He saw you and me (broken) and ravaged by sin. He came and gave up his life \u2014 exhausting his breath, so that you could receive the breath of life! <\/p>\n\n\n\n