1. My message this morning is entitled, “Putting Christ in Christmas.”
2. A few years ago, I preached a similar message entitled, “Putting Christ First in Christmas.”
3. I started out then, and would like to start out now by stating that we should not only put Christ first in Christmas but we should put Christ first every day in every thing we do.
4. Our Lord said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37, 38).
5. This has been an unusual year for our church.  In many ways it has been a wonderful year.  We have seen souls saved and baptized.  God has blessed in many ways.  Our building program is just about complete.
6. However, financially it has not been a good year.  So many of us are praying that we can end the year in the black with a good Christmas offering December 20 (or even sooner).
7. Years ago there was a campaign called, “Put Christ Back Into Christmas.”  In fact, we still hear quite a bit of this every year – on billboards, bumper stickers, advertisements, etc.
8. Some Christians (and not a few non-Christians as well) argue that Christ never was in Christmas in the first place.
9. For example, the Bible does not tell us when Christ was born and it is debatable that He was born on December 25^th.  It is often argued that Christmas is more of a heathen holiday than a Christian holiday.
10. Furthermore, nowhere in the Bible are we told to celebrate the birth of Christ.  For the first three hundred years of its existence, Christian churches did not celebrate Christmas – at least not the way we celebrate it today.
11. In the third century the commemoration of Christ’s birth started becoming popular, even though no one knew for certain what time of the year Jesus was born.
12. Before there was ever a Christmas, heathens celebrated the winter “solstice.”  And before there ever was a Christmas, the Romans celebrated “Saturnalia” during the week leading up to December 25^th. This was a period of feasting and revelry and drunkenness as well as the exchanging of gifts.
13. There is no question about some of the pagan origins of Christmas.  Our modern holiday scrambles the birth of Christ together with various heathen traditions, German fir trees, Santa Claus, and out-of-control materialism.
14. It is probably the materialism and the covetousness that is the most offensive to Christians who know the Bible.

• “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (I Timothy 6:7, 8).
• “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).
• “He that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days” (Proverbs 28:16).
• “Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house” (Habakkuk 2:9).
• “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

15. Do you remember how our Lord defined a fool?  Our Lord said in Luke 12:21, “He that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
16. This Christmas season, let us not be foolish.  Let us be “rich toward God.”
17. Amidst of all of this frenzied shopping and advertising, worldly parties, tacky decorations, and other unscriptural Christmas traditions like Santa Claus and Frosty the snowman, etc. let us celebrate Christmas in a way that is honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. WE HONOR CHRIST WHEN WE OBEY HIM (JOHN 14:15).

1. The Lord Jesus Christ left the splendor of Heaven to be born in a lowly manger.  The Lord Jesus Christ, who is equal in power and glory with God the Father, became a man in order to die on the cross for our sins.
2. Our Lord was born in poor circumstances, and He lived a poor life.  He said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).
3. Second Corinthians 8:9 says, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.”
4. Jesus was born in poverty, lived in poverty, and died in poverty.  Why?  “That ye through His poverty might be rich” (8:9).
5. If you are a child of God, you are rich in the love of God, rich in the grace of God, rich in the mercy of God, and rich in the blessings of God!
6. You may not have much of this world’s riches, but praise God if you are saved you have a home up yonder in heaven.  That is why every grateful Christian should put Christ first at Christmas.
7. While we are considering the example of our Lord, let us also consider His Words (John 14:15; Acts 20:35).
8. Our Lord said in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
9. Just a few verses before that He told us what to do (Luke 6:38).
10. We honor Christ when we obey Him.  There is rather unpleasant to see worldlings getting drunk and immoral at so-called “Christmas parties.”
11. But it is also very sad to see genuine born-again believers flagrantly disregard our Lord’s words.

II. OBEDIENCE IN REGARDS TO STEWARDSHIP AND MISSIONS.

1. Many people believe the Christmas tradition of gift giving originated with these wise men from the east.  This may be true but remember: they gave their gifts to Jesus.  Unfortunately, today most people give gifts to everyone but Jesus!
2. Let us look at Matthew 2:1, 2, 11.  Notice two things about these wise men. First, they came all the way from quite a distance (“from the east”) to worship the baby Jesus (2:2, 11).
3. Secondly, notice what they did when they arrived – they “opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts” (2:11).
4. I am not saying that they gave gifts after they worshipped Him.  I am saying that they gave gifts to Jesus while they were worshipping Him.
5. Taking up the offering is an integral part of our worship service.
6. Before picking up the offering, I have heard some pastors tell the unsaved: “Don’t give until you get saved first.”
7. I do not say that. I do not think that is necessary unless these unsaved folks think giving money to the church will get them into heaven.
8. Certainly God wants us to give of ourselves first (cf. II Cor. 8:5).  But I am not going to tell some sinner not to give.  You may as well tell him not to sing or pray or read the Bible.  It is all part of our worship service.
9. Some one has wisely said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
10. It is also true that, “You can give without worshipping, but you cannot worship without giving.” 
11. I am not worried about some unsaved visitor throwing a dollar in the basket.  I’m more concerned about the Christian who throws only a dollar in the basket. 
12. He is not truly worshipping God if he is stingy with his giving. If God does not have his wallet, then his praying and singing have a hollow ring.
13. This Christmas let us make sure that the Lord is first on our Christmas list. I would like for us to give as the Lord would have us to give.
14. Let us consider the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus.  First, notice they brought Him gold.  The Bible says they opened their treasures and “presented unto Him gifts; gold…” (Matt. 2:11b).
15. They brought the appropriate gift for a king – gold.  Gold represents our Lord’s deity.   Next, they gave “frankincense” (2:11).
16. If the gold represents our Lord’s deity, then the frankincense represents the fragrance of His sinless life (Matt. 2:11). Offered as incense to God in worship, this gift portrays devotion to God.
17. Next is “myrrh” (2:11). Myrrh was used as a perfume, as a spice, as a medicine, and as a means of preparing bodies for the grave.  This is an appropriate gift for a baby born to die.
18. The myrrh represents His vicarious death. Christ willingly took our place on the cross so that we might escape the wages of sin.
19. By the way, did you ever wonder how Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus were supported while they hiding from Herod in Egypt?  (Matt. 2:13-15, 19-21).  It may have been that they survived with the gold and the proceeds from selling the precious spices.
20. Therefore, I believe the wise men were very practical in their gift giving.  Are you practical in your gift giving?
21. What could be more practical than advancing God’s work here at Bible Baptist Church?   Not just to support our ministry here but around the world through faith promise missions.

III. HONORING CHRIST BY OBEYING HIS COMMISSION.

1. I heard about a  preacher who went to visit a certain church member that was very wealthy.  The rich man showed his pastor all around his estate.  Later they stood on a second-floor outside balcony, surveying the beautiful scenery.
2. “As far as you can see to the north, that’s all mine!” said the rich man to the pastor.  Then pointing to the west, he said, “As far as you can see in that direction, I own it all!”  Excitedly he pointed to the south, and then to the east he said the same thing, “All this is mine!  I own it all!”
3. Quietly the preacher pointed up to heaven and said, “How much do you own up there?”
4. Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
5. Contrast that materialistic and covetous church member with the apostle Paul.  He said, “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11).
6. Consider Paul’s last recorded words, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day” (II Timothy 4:7, 8).
7. It is very interesting to study this great theme – “there is laid up for me a crown” in heaven (cf. I Thess. 2:19, 20).
8. Paul was eager to get to heaven and to rejoice with all of the many souls he won for Christ.
9. What about you?
10. The songwriter (Charles Carroll Luther) put it this way:

“Must I go, and empty handed,”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?
 
 “Must I go, and empty handed?”
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?
 
O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,
Up and work while yet ’tis day;
Ere the night of death o’ertake thee,
Strive for souls while still you may.

11. How sad to go to heaven empty-handed!
12. And what a joy it will be meeting people up in heaven that were saved through soulwinning, and our preaching services, and our faith promise missions program!
13. Not every one can preach, and not every one can go to the mission field, but everyone can give.  I heard about a little boy who went to VBS and they were taking up an offering.  His friend saw that he had nothing to give and asked him why.  The little fellow replied, “My mother didn’t give me anything because she said she didn’t want to waste her money.”
14. Well, we can expect to hear that kind of foolish talk from lost people, but unfortunately some Christians seem to think this way as well.
15. Remember what Jesus said (Matt. 6:19, 20).

CONCLUSION:

1. The songwriter Charles Carroll Lu­ther heard a preacher named AG Upham tell the sto­ry of a young man who was about to die. This young man had on­ly been a Christ­ian for about a month, and was sad be­cause he’d had so lit­tle time to serve the Lord.
2. The young man said, “I am not afraid to die; Je­sus saves me now. But must I go em­pty hand­ed?”
3. This in­ci­dent prompt­ed the writ­ing of the song, “Must I Go, and Empty Handed.”
4. The second stanza is taken from the young man’s dying words:

Not at death I shrink or falter,
For my Savior saves me now;
But to meet Him empty handed,
Thought of that now clouds my brow.

5. That young man had only been saved for one month, and he did not want to meet the Lord empty handed. But there are Christians who have been saved for years who never win souls and who do not generously support the Lord’s work.
6. LET US PUT CHRIST FIRST THIS CHRISTMAS!