Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Celebrate Christmas?
Some Christians believe that any association with Christmas is wrong.
I want to share some thoughts this morning about Christians and Christmas that I’ve wanted to share all my life.
Why do people, especially Christians, oppose Christmas when you would think we are the ones who would celebrate it most of all?
Usually the objections sound like this;
1. THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS SEASON SMACKS WITH PAGANISM- we do not know the date or year Jesus was born. Most Christians celebrate December 25 but the Eastern Orthodox celebrates Christmas January 6 and the Armenian Church celebrates Christmas January 19th. Even in Christendom there is not agreement of the day Jesus was born.
How did December 25th get chosen? Well in the early days of the church the pagans had winter solstice. It was a season of partying, drunkenness, and orgies. The Bishops in the 4th century wanted to change that so December 25th was the height of the solstice so they bishops converted it and made it a Christ Mass. That is why the church began in celebrate December 25th as the Birth of Christ.
It is a fact that many of the trappings of Christmas like Trees, wreaths, and gifts actually have their origin in pagan customs. That is why some people say we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because it smacks of paganism. The reality is those things have long been forgotten and they carry no significance for people today.
Now if you are going to be consistent about that logic I should preach “Ladies, don’t wear earrings.” Because pagans wore them on their ears to ward off false Gods and if you wear them you believe in idols too.
Meat sacrificed to idols- some still believed in idols and wouldn’t eat the meat. Paul said if you don’t believe in idols and don’t think about it go ahead and eat the meat there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t think about false gods when I put up a tree or wrap gifts and if you don’t go ahead and celebrate.
It is true much of the origin of Christmas came out of Paganism. Let me remind you, when God looked down to choose a day for his son to be born there were not any clean days to choose. Their whole world was pagan that is why we needed Jesus. They were all dirty days.
2. NO COMMAND IN THE BIBLE TO CELEBRATE JESUS BIRTH- True. Just because something is not expressly commanded in the bible doesn’t mean it is forbidden. Why is this argument never made about thanksgiving or Mother’s Day? There is no command in the bible to take a day out of the year and honor our mothers.
Did you know that God never commanded the feast of Purim that is celebrated in Esther 9 when the people defeated the evil Mordecai? But the Jews still celebrated it and so did Jesus.
God never commanded the feast of dedications in John 10. Started during the Maccabes. Jesus in John 10 is in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Dedication.
The idea that you can’t have a celebration because God didn’t command it doesn’t carry weight in the bible.
3. THINK ABOUT JESUS’ BIRTH MORE THAN JUST ONCE A DAY- DUH!!! When God commanded Passover he didn’t say think about it once a year and the rest of the year forget about it. God wants us to think about what he has done all year long, but he realizes there is value in taking a specific time of year and rekindle in your heart the joy of what God has done for you in a specific deed and that is why God gave us the specific feast and that is why we celebrate holidays.
4. CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN DISTORTED BY MATERIALISM AND SECULARISM- Of course it has. Why should we be surprised that Satan would try to pervert a celebration as significant as Christmas? Realize that only valuable things ever get counterfeited.
Has anyone ever come up to you and said; “You want to see my stash of brown paper bags?” We don’t counterfeit paper bags. But, have you ever seen a counterfeit diamond? Have you ever seen a counterfeit Christian?
We only counterfeit the things that are valuable.
So why should we be surprised that something as powerful and wonderful as the birth of Christ would get counterfeited by the devil?
It seems that the churches responsibility is to keep Christmas a converted holiday. Refuse all efforts to squeeze Christ out of Christmas. Bottom line is Romans 14:5-6a; “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers everyday alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” So my word to you is, if you are going to celebrate Christmas keep Christ in it.
I want to share some thoughts this morning about Christians and Christmas that I’ve wanted to share all my life.
Why do people, especially Christians, oppose Christmas when you would think we are the ones who would celebrate it most of all?
Usually the objections sound like this;
1. THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS SEASON SMACKS WITH PAGANISM- we do not know the date or year Jesus was born. Most Christians celebrate December 25 but the Eastern Orthodox celebrates Christmas January 6 and the Armenian Church celebrates Christmas January 19th. Even in Christendom there is not agreement of the day Jesus was born.
How did December 25th get chosen? Well in the early days of the church the pagans had winter solstice. It was a season of partying, drunkenness, and orgies. The Bishops in the 4th century wanted to change that so December 25th was the height of the solstice so they bishops converted it and made it a Christ Mass. That is why the church began in celebrate December 25th as the Birth of Christ.
It is a fact that many of the trappings of Christmas like Trees, wreaths, and gifts actually have their origin in pagan customs. That is why some people say we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because it smacks of paganism. The reality is those things have long been forgotten and they carry no significance for people today.
Now if you are going to be consistent about that logic I should preach “Ladies, don’t wear earrings.” Because pagans wore them on their ears to ward off false Gods and if you wear them you believe in idols too.
Meat sacrificed to idols- some still believed in idols and wouldn’t eat the meat. Paul said if you don’t believe in idols and don’t think about it go ahead and eat the meat there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t think about false gods when I put up a tree or wrap gifts and if you don’t go ahead and celebrate.
It is true much of the origin of Christmas came out of Paganism. Let me remind you, when God looked down to choose a day for his son to be born there were not any clean days to choose. Their whole world was pagan that is why we needed Jesus. They were all dirty days.
2. NO COMMAND IN THE BIBLE TO CELEBRATE JESUS BIRTH- True. Just because something is not expressly commanded in the bible doesn’t mean it is forbidden. Why is this argument never made about thanksgiving or Mother’s Day? There is no command in the bible to take a day out of the year and honor our mothers.
Did you know that God never commanded the feast of Purim that is celebrated in Esther 9 when the people defeated the evil Mordecai? But the Jews still celebrated it and so did Jesus.
God never commanded the feast of dedications in John 10. Started during the Maccabes. Jesus in John 10 is in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Dedication.
The idea that you can’t have a celebration because God didn’t command it doesn’t carry weight in the bible.
3. THINK ABOUT JESUS’ BIRTH MORE THAN JUST ONCE A DAY- DUH!!! When God commanded Passover he didn’t say think about it once a year and the rest of the year forget about it. God wants us to think about what he has done all year long, but he realizes there is value in taking a specific time of year and rekindle in your heart the joy of what God has done for you in a specific deed and that is why God gave us the specific feast and that is why we celebrate holidays.
4. CHRISTMAS HAS BEEN DISTORTED BY MATERIALISM AND SECULARISM- Of course it has. Why should we be surprised that Satan would try to pervert a celebration as significant as Christmas? Realize that only valuable things ever get counterfeited.
Has anyone ever come up to you and said; “You want to see my stash of brown paper bags?” We don’t counterfeit paper bags. But, have you ever seen a counterfeit diamond? Have you ever seen a counterfeit Christian?
We only counterfeit the things that are valuable.
So why should we be surprised that something as powerful and wonderful as the birth of Christ would get counterfeited by the devil?
It seems that the churches responsibility is to keep Christmas a converted holiday. Refuse all efforts to squeeze Christ out of Christmas. Bottom line is Romans 14:5-6a; “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers everyday alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” So my word to you is, if you are going to celebrate Christmas keep Christ in it.
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