A short Christmas message I preached at Banstead Community Church on 15th December 2019.
Open the Gift
KIDS TALK: WHAT DOES THE MUPPET’S CHRISTMAS CAROL TEACH US ABOUT CHRISTMAS?
Advent – What does The Muppet’s Christmas Carol teach us about Christmas?
Powerpoint Pictures: Various scenes from The Muppet’s Christmas Carol including the scene at the end with Scrooge smiling.
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You can’t beat a good Christmas movie!
Every year there are plenty of good and plenty of not so good Christmas films to watch.
And some of these movies remind us about what Christmas is all about. Why it is that Christmas is about good news of great joy that is for all people to hear.
Over this period of advent, we are going to think about 4 Christmas movies and what they teach us about Christmas.
We saw that the Christmas story unlike The Snowman is a story with a happy ending. It ends not with Jesus’ death, but with His resurrection.
The next film is The Muppet’s Christmas Carol.
Do you remember the story?
At the start of this film, it looks like we have another Christmas movie in need of a happy ending. Scrooge is miserable and causes misery to those who work for him. He doesn’t have the Christmas spirit! Bah humbug!
But on the night before Christmas, he is visited by his old business partners who are being tormented in death because of their past actions, and warned that if he didn’t change his way, that is what will happen to him. Then follows visits from three ghosts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future which explain why Scrooge is the way he is, show the suffering his behaviour is causing to others, and his future if he does not change.
Scrooge wakes up a changed man and we have a happy ending, with him having Christmas dinner with Kermit the Frog!
There is an important difference between The Muppet’s Christmas Carol and the Christmas Story.
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In The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, Scrooge is his own saviour who gets his happy ending by trying harder to be a better person.
Whereas the happy ending of the Christmas Story for us – sins forgiven and eternal life in heaven – comes not by saving ourselves by trying harder to be better people, but instead by trusting in the Saviour God gave to the world in the Christmas Story – the Lord Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
So yes, Christmas is a story with a happy ending, but only for those who trust in Jesus to be the Saviour.
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
KIDS TALK: WHAT DOES THE SNOWMAN TEACH US ABOUT CHRISTMAS?
Advent – What does The Snowman teach us about Christmas?
Powerpoint Pictures: Various scenes from The Snowman including the final scene of the melted snowman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can’t beat a good Christmas movie!
Every year there are plenty of good and plenty of not so good Christmas films to watch.
And some of these movies remind us about what Christmas is all about. Why it is that Christmas is about good news of great joy that is for all people to hear.
Over this period of advent, we are going to think about 4 Christmas movies and what they teach us about Christmas.
The first film is The Snowman.
Do you remember the story?
One winter’s day, a young boy builds a snowman. At the stroke of midnight, he discovers that the snowman has come to life, and a night of fun and adventure begins, including a flight to the snowman’s party. At the end of the night, they return to the boy’s home and say goodnight.
The next morning, the boy wakes up after the best night ever. He can’t wait to do it again. But this dream is shattered. The snowman has melted and the boy’s adventure is over.
The Snowman is a story that needs a happy ending.
And it seems that Christmas story in the Bible does too.
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Jesus whose birth we celebrate, grew up to have exciting adventures with His followers, but ends up dead and lying in a tomb.
Like the little boy, those who followed Him, were devastated.
A couple of days after Jesus died, two of His followers were taking a journey to Emmaus when they were joined by a mysterious man.
They said to Him, “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21)
They thought that Jesus was the King who had come to save His people from their sins. But with Him dead, that hope was gone.
Christmas is story that appears to need a happy ending.
But soon these two followers of Jesus would soon discover that it does have a happy ending.
Because what happened next was that, for the two followers of Jesus, “their eyes were opened and they recognised him.” (Luke 24:31)
The mysterious man they were talking to was Jesus, risen from the dead. He is the Saviour after all, which means we can be saved from our sins.
Unlike The Snowman, the Christmas story in the Bible is a story with a happy ending, and it can be for you!
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
KIDS TALKS FOR ADVENT
With Advent soon upon us, here are some series of kids talks to use in church in the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.
Series #1: Why Advent?
Advent 1 – Why celebrate Advent?: Talk
Advent 2 – Advent says ‘Be Ready!’: Talk
Advent 3 – Advent says ‘Be Patient!’: Talk
Advent 4 – Advent says ‘Be Excited!’: Talk
Series #2: What should we do this Christmas?
Advent 1 – Recognise: Talk
Advent 2 – Repent: Talk
Advent 3 – Rejoice: Talk
Advent 4 – Receive: Talk
Series #3: Responding to the Good News of Christmas
Advent 1 – The Wonder of Mary: Talk
Advent 2 – The Obedience of Joseph: Talk
Advent 3 – The Joy of the Angels: Talk
Advent 4 – The Eagerness of the Shepherds: Talk
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
KIDS TALK: THE EAGERNESS OF THE SHEPHERDS
Advent – The Eagerness of the Shepherds
Powerpoint Pictures: Usain Bolt
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This morning I have some good news for you.
I have brought with me a bag of sweets, and if you like one, all you need to do is come and get one from me.
It’s first come, first served so you’d better be quick, if you don’t want to miss out.
[Encourage children/adults to come and pick up a sweet or little bag of sweets]
Now some of you children, after hearing that sweets were on offer, got your Usain Bolt on. There was no dawdling. You came as quick as you could, just like a group of shepherds did, when they heard some good news that was far better than sweets being available.
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After the shepherds heard the incredible news that a Saviour who could rescue them from their sins had been born, we’re told that, “they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:16).
They went to find out if this news was true as quickly as they could.
By doing so, the shepherds show us how we are to act in response to the good news of Christmas.
With eagerness.
Eagerness because how we respond to Jesus, whose birth we remember at Christmas, determines where we will spend eternity.
In heaven or in hell.
Nothing is more important than finding out the truth about Jesus and then trusting Him to be your Saviour.
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So this advent, “May you be filled with the eagerness of the shepherds” and find out how Jesus can save you and then trust Him to.
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
SERMON: JOHN 18:4
Sermon I preached on John 18:4 at Banstead Community Church on 25th December 2018.
1. The Son of God came forward in history to save His people
2. The Son of God came forward in eternity to save His people
More sermons can be found HERE
(Photo: Freely Photos)
SERMON: CHRISTMAS THROUGH NEW EYES
Sermon I preached on Luke 2:6-7 at Banstead Community Church on 23rd December 2018.
1. A birth that anticipates another birth
2. A birth that enables another birth
More sermons can be found HERE
(Photo: Freely Photos)
KIDS TALK: THE JOY OF THE ANGELS
Advent – The Joy of the Angels
Powerpoint Pictures: Pictures from the story of Mr Happy
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Can you tell me who this Mr Men is? [Mr Happy]
Let me tell you very quickly the story of Mr Happy.
Mr Happy lives in Happyland. One day as he went for a walk through the woods, he discovered something strange.
A door in one of the trees. He opened the door to discover a spiral staircase that went down and down. He went down the stairs until he reached another door.
Behind that door was Mr Miserable.
Mr Happy didn’t want Mr Miserable to be miserable anymore, so he invited him to his home in Happyland.
As Mr Miserable spent time at Mr Happy’s home with Mr Happy, guess what happened?
Mr Miserable’s frown began to be turned upside down. He was no longer miserable, and he and Mr Happy laughed and laughed.
After meeting Mr Happy, Mr Miserable was filled with joy!
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I don’t know how the shepherds watching their flocks on the Bethlehem hillside were feeling.
Maybe they were miserable. Or tired. Or bored.
That was until they met someone full of joy like Mr Happy was. This someone was an angel. And the time they spent with him filled them with joy.
Why?
It’s because of what the angel said: “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David. a Saviour has been to you.” (Luke 2:10-11)
The joy of the angel to the news that a Saviour who can save us from our sins had been born filled the shepherds with joy, and may hearing this good news again fill us with joy too.
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So this advent, “May you be filled with the joy of the angels” as you hear the good news that the birth of Jesus was the birth of a Saviour for you.
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER
A short Christmas message I preached at Banstead Community Church on 16th December 2018.
Spreading Christmas Cheer
KIDS TALK: THE OBEDIENCE OF JOSEPH
Advent – The Obedience of Joseph
Powerpoint Pictures: Traditional picture of the Nativity [with Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Magi]
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Who do you see in this picture of the Nativity? [Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Shepherds, Magi/Kings/Wise Men]
Now of the characters of the Christmas story, which one of them doesn’t speak in the Bible’s account of the birth of Jesus?
The baby Jesus doesn’t of course. He is after all a baby. And if the carol ‘Away in a manger’ was to be believed, he didn’t cry either!
But what about the other characters?
The Magi? Yes, they speak. In Matthew’s Gospel, we’re told they say to Herod, “Where is the one born King of the Jews?”
The Shepherd? They speak to. In Luke’s Gospel, we learn that after the angel announced that in Bethlehem a Saviour had been born who is Christ the Lord, they said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord told us about!”
What about Mary? We know she express wonder on learning that she was pregnant with God’s Son, and burst into a song of praise to God for what He had done for her and the people of Israel.
We’re left with Joseph. Does he say anything in any of the Gospels?
No.
He is the silent character of Christmas.
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And yet he does speak. Not with words, but by his actions.
After an angel appear to him in a dream, reassuring him about Mary and her pregnancy, and telling him about who the baby she would give birth to was, he was given a command.
Name the baby “Jesus” because He will save His people from their sins.
What did He do?
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:24-25)
Joseph obeys. He believed what the angel had told him was true and he shows this by doing what he was told to do.
His actions remind us of what the right response to the news that Jesus the Saviour of sinners has been born. It is to believe this message and show that we do by obeying Him.
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So this advent, “May you be filled with the obedience of Joseph” if like him, you believe that Jesus came to save us from our sins.
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
KIDS TALK: THE WONDER OF MARY
Advent – The Wonder of Mary
Powerpoint Pictures: Grand Canyon; Sunset; Question Mark; Football Goal; A Resume or CV; Orchestra
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What makes you go “Wow!”?
The grandeur of creation.
The beauty of creation.
An incredible fact – like it rains diamonds on Jupiter and Saturn.
A wonder goal scored.
A person’s achievements.
A moving piece of music.
Every year during this period of advent, we should be amazed, filled with wonder, go wow!
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It’s what Mary, the mother of Jesus, did.
After hearing from an angel that she had found favour with God, and was pregnant with a son who will be great and called the Son of the Most High, and will reign as King for ever, she responds: “How will this be?” Mary asked the angel.”
She was filled with wonder.
Why?
Not only because she was a virgin [meaning the baby did not have a human father] but because her baby was the Son of God.
This is the most astonishing and incredible event in all of human history – it’s no surprise that she was filled with wonder – she was going to give birth to a baby who is God!
And we should never stop going “wow!” when we remember this.
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So this advent, “May you be filled with the wonder of Mary” as you remember that God took on flesh and became a baby to save us.
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More Advent/Christmas Kids Talks can be found HERE.
(Photo: Hans Kristian Pedersen)
SERMON: DEUTERONOMY 18:15-22
Sermon I preached on Deuteronomy 18:15-22 at Banstead Community Church on 24th December 2017.
1. Jesus speaks the Word of God
2. Jesus is the Word of God
More sermons can be found HERE
(Photo: Ben White)