THE SPIRIT
OF CHRISTMAS IS LOVING
( John 3:16 ) For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.
* INTRODUCTION:
a. God the Father is our prime example of showing and sharing His love
to His creation. To the lost sinners like you and me.
1. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.
( II Corinthians
8:1-5 ) [1]Moreover,
brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia;
[2]How that in a great trial of
affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the
riches of their liberality.
[3]For to their power, I bear
record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
[4]Praying us with much intreaty
that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the
ministering to the saints.
[5]And this they did, not as we
hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of
God.
2. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT SACRIFICING.
( John 15:13 ) Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
3. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT HUMBLING OURSELVES.
( Acts 20:19 Serving the Lord with all humility
of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in
wait of the Jews:
* God bless the humble Christian.
( James 4:6 ) [6]But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
[7]Submit yourselves therefore to
God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
[8]Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye
double minded.
[9]Be afflicted, and mourn, and
weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
[10]Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
4. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT SACRIFICING.
( Luke 14:26-27 ) [26]If any man come to me, and
hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
[27]And whosoever doth not bear
his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
( IPeter 4: 13-16 ) [13]But rejoice, inasmuch as ye
are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed,
ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
[14]If ye be reproached for the
name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon
you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
[15]But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's
matters.
[16]Yet if any man suffer as a
Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
5. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT PRAYING FOR OTHERS.
( James 5:16 ) Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
( Galatians 6:2 ) Bear ye one another's burdens, and
so fulfil the law of Christ.
( Acts 1:13-15 ) [13]And when they were come in,
they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John,
and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of
Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
[14]These all continued with one
accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brethren.
[15]And in those days Peter stood
up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were
about an hundred and twenty,)
6. WE CANNOT LOVE WITHOUT SERVING THE LORD.
( Joshua 24:15 ) And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD.
(Romans 12:6-11) [6]Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith;
[7]Or ministry, let us wait on our
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
[8]Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9]Let love be without
dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
[10]Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
[11]Not slothful in business;
fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
* God bless you all always *
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