Series: Christmas Pure & Simple Simpler Life Pastor Nathan Weller December 24, 2018 Series: Christmas Pure & Simple

“The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.” --C.S. Lewis--

The message of Christmas is acceptance through forgiveness

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (cont’d) --Matthew 1:18-25 NLT)

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. --Matthew 1:18-25 NLT)

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” --Matthew 1.21 ESV

Jesus came to save us from our sins

Jesus can forgive us because he is God

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). --Matthew 1.22-23 ESV

“Why does this man speak like that. He is blaspheming “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” --Mark 2.7 ESV

to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. --Philippians 2.5-8 NLT

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. --John 10.10b NLT

is the person who made us and knows how we work. God does “In recent years our society has tried to solve this problem by having people simply repeat over and over to themselves, "You are okay. You are a good person. You are beautiful as you are." But our spirits know this is a bunch of baloney. We know there is a lot of ugliness in us and that something radical must be done about it. There is only one person whose affirmation can take that ugliness away and that is the person who made us and knows how we work. God does not affirm or ignore our ugliness, as the world would have us do. Instead he offers us forgiveness for it.” --Daniel Taylor, Letters to my Children--

Series: Christmas Pure & Simple Simpler Life Pastor Nathan Weller December 24, 2018 Series: Christmas Pure & Simple