Christmas is Jesus!

Luke 2:13-14

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

The angel praised and proclaimed the coming of Jesus.

Matthew 2:11

On coming into the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

The magi worshiped Jesus and gave Jesus gifts.

Luke 2:16-18

So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about the child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

The shepherds shared the truth about Jesus.

That first Christmas, the focus was on Jesus.

The focus was on Jesus not because of what Jesus had done but because of who Jesus is and what Jesus would do.

Luke 2:11

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.

Jesus is the Christ or Messiah.

He is the Anointed One.

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asked His disciples who they believed Him to be. In verse 16 Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Jesus as Christ is God in the flesh. He is Immanuel, God with us.

Christmas is about the God of all creation giving up the glories of heaven to take on the limitations and struggles of being a human being. He became not just a man, but a servant; and not just a servant, but a servant who died on the cross for our sin.

Jesus is the Savior.

2 Corinthians 2:10

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.   

Jesus as Savior will deliver us. He will deliver us from:

The Penalty of Sin

The Power of Sin

The Fear of Death

Eternal Death

The Control of Satan Over Our Lives

The Hopelessness and Meaninglessness of Life

Jesus is the Lord.

Revelation 19:16

On His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus as Lord is our King. He is the supreme and sovereign Ruler of all creation.

Jesus is the one who has the right to direct and control our lives.

On that first Christmas:

Angels praised and proclaimed Jesus

Magi worshiped Jesus and gave Jesus gifts

Shepherds shared the truth about Jesus

It was because of who Jesus is; and who Jesus is determines what Jesus does.  

And what Jesus does is as God:

He delivers us from the destruction that sin brings

 And rules our lives for His glory and our benefit.

I love Christmas.

I love the decorations.

I love the songs.

I love the spirit of caring.

I love the children’s musicals.

I love the corny movies.

I love saying, “Merry Christmas”.

I love the cards and letters.

I love the gifts.

But as much as I love these things about Christmas, they are not Christmas. They are only things about Christmas. They are the wrappings of Christmas.

Christmas is about Jesus.

I remember the first Christmas after I became a follower of Jesus. Christmas became new for me. I knew and understood for the first time why we celebrate Christmas. It was so cool because I knew I was not celebrating a what but a Who – Jesus.

Christmas had become and remains a celebration of the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son into the world to die for our sin.

I pray that your Christmas has been filled with the glory, power and love of Jesus.

His glory is His presence.

His power is His desire and ability to free us from sin.

His love unconditional and never ending.

Celebrating Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                               Joe

Running The Race

Athletes, if they are going to be successful, must train their bodies and practice their skills. Good athletes never just show up for the game or contest. They spend more time in preparation than in the game itself.

In Philippians 3:12-16 Paul uses the analogy of an athlete to share how we compete as a follower of Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-13a

Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

Paul expresses his dissatisfaction.

He was not satisfied with his Christian life. A sanctified dissatisfaction is an essential to growing in our relationship with Jesus.

Many Christians are self-satisfied because they compare themselves with other Christians, usually with those who are not making much progress in their walk with Jesus.

Paul compared himself with himself and with Jesus. He was thus seeking the reality of his Christian life.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing ourselves as we are, not compared to others.

Philippians 3:13b

But one thing I do.

Paul expresses his devotion.

One Thing:

One thing is needed. – Luke 10:42

One thing I know. – John 9:25

One thing I desired of the Lord. – Psalm 27:4

Too many Christians are involved in many things. The secret to progress in our relationship to Jesus is to concentrate on one thing.

The believer must devote himself to running the Christian race. No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing.

Our specialty is doing Jesus’ will.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is focusing on Jesus and what He desires in our lives.

Philippians 3:13c

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

Paul expresses his direction.

The person without Jesus is controlled by the past, but the Christian running the race looks toward the future. The believer needs to be future-oriented.

Paul says he does two things:

Forgetting what is behind – to no longer to be influenced by or affected by what is in the past

Straining toward what is ahead – reaching forward

The things which are behind must be set aside and the things which are before must take their place.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in the now and looking toward the future.

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul expresses his determination.

Paul says he presses. Paul is following after something. It is a term that expresses the idea of an intense endeavor. It was a term used to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey.

There are two extremes to avoid:

I must do it all.

God must do it all.

The follower of Jesus has to realize that God must work in us if we are going to run the race successfully.

The prize that we are pressing toward is not:

Heaven

Salvation

Forgiveness

The prize and the goal are the same - Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the presence, love, and power of Jesus daily.

Philippians 3:15-16

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 

Paul expresses his discipline.

It is not enough to run hard.

It is not enough to be the fastest.

You have to run the race obeying the rules.

Jesus sets the way we are to run the race.

Jesus sets the course our race will take.

If we try living our lives based on our rules, our desires, or on a direction we set, we will not obtain the prize.

We have to live in obedience to Jesus and His will.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is following the desires that Jesus has for your life.

I am with Paul in that I have not already obtained all that God wants for me.

I am with Paul in that I will forget what is in the past.

I am with Paul in that I will live in the now and focus on the future.

I pray that you will allow God to continue to make you into the image of Jesus.

Living Today and Looking to Tomorrow

Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                                 Joe

Gaining by Losing

We live in a world where wealth and power are priorities for many people. The pursuit of wealth, things, and power can rob people of joy and peace.

Paul deals with that danger in Philippians.

In Philippians 3:1-11 Paul teaches us how to look at life from a Jesus’ perspective. He shows us how give up the things in our lives that will not lead us to Jesus and to seek the things that will.

The key phrase in this passage is “I count”.

The characteristic that allows us to experience the joy and peace of God is righteousness.

Philippians 3:1

Finally, my brother, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Paul tells the Philippian believers to rejoice.

He says that he is writing this to safeguard these new believers. He wants them to know that joy is found in Jesus not in things no matter how good those things are.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is finding our joy in Jesus.

Paul then gives the Philippian believers a warning and identifies who the real followers of Jesus are.

Philippians 3:2-3

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

Paul says to watch out for those who have come and tried to make salvation a matter of faith and works.

He calls these men dogs. Jews called Gentiles dogs because they were not obeying God. Paul used this term to show that these men were not obeying God.

He says that they are mutilators of the flesh. What they wanted the Philippian believers to do was not honoring to God. It was only mutilating their bodies.

He says there are two things that are true of real followers of Jesus:

They are truly circumcised.

They worship God led by the Spirit of God.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing we are saved by grace through faith and allowing God’s Spirit to lead us.

Paul then uses himself as an example of someone who pursued righteousness by works.

Philippians 3:4-6

…though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Paul says he was of the nation of Israel and a Hebrew of Hebrews.

Paul says he was blameless when it came to the law of Moses.

Paul says he defended his orthodox faith by persecuting the followers of Jesus.

None of these things brought peace or assurance to Paul.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging that righteousness is a gift from God and cannot be earned.

Paul then outlines a righteousness that comes from grace through faith. He does that by outlining what he gave up and what he gained.

The Losses

Philippians 3:7

But what was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

He gave up his reputation as a Jewish religious leader.

He gave up his religious achievements.

He gave up position and power.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being willing to give up anything to experience the reality of Jesus in your life.

The Gains

Philippians 3:8-11

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul says he has gained:

Knowledge of Jesus

Righteousness in Jesus

Fellowship with Jesus

Paul has four great desires:

To Know Jesus (to experience Jesus in everyday living)

To Experience the Power of Jesus’ Resurrection (to have the power of Jesus in everyday living)

To Fellowship with Jesus in His Sufferings (to be broken over sin)

To Be Like Jesus in His Death (to be completely obedient to the Father)

Paul was not looking at the short term; he was looking beyond his earthly life and looking to eternal life.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is desiring Jesus over anything and everything.

Jim Elliot gave his life trying to take the Gospel of Jesus to the Huaorani people of Ecuador. He says, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

All of our human-based achievements can gain us what we really want and need – Salvation. The grace of Jesus through faith will bring us that salvation.

Depending Only on Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                             Joe

How to Lose Everything

Things can rob us of joy. They can be thieves that steal from us the joy that God desires us to have.

Things in themselves are not sinful. God made all things and in Genesis 1:31 He declares all that He has made is good. God knows that we need things to live.

According to 1 Timothy 6:17 God supplies all we need to enjoy life. In Luke 12:15 Jesus warns us that our lives don’t consist in the abundance of things that we possess. Quantity is no assurance of quality.

In Philippians 3:1-11 Paul deals with not putting confidence in the flesh or in our natural human resources. He shares how He wants Jesus more than anything and how much joy that brings.  

Philippians 3:1-3

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

Paul reminds us to rejoice in the Lord. We are to rejoice because of:

Who Jesus is

What Jesus has done

What Jesus will do

We are to watch out for people who try and steal our joy.

These people who try and steal our joy do so by:

Trying and getting us to relate to God based on rules

Trying and getting us to focus on religion instead of relationship

Trying and making it all about ritual

If we are going to experience real joy, we will:

Worship God by the power of His Spirit

Honor God

Put no confidence in our natural human resources

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is rejoicing in Jesus and His grace, not our circumstances or our human resources.

Philippians 3:4-6

Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reason to put confidence in the flesh, I have more, circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Paul points out that if anyone has reason to put confidence in himself, he did.

Paul was faultless in his relationship to the nation (the people of God).

He was a member of Israel, God’s chosen people.

He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.

Paul was faultless in his relationship with the law.

He was circumcised on the eighth day.

He was a Pharisee.

He was perfect in his legalistic righteousness.

Paul was faultless in his relationship to Israel’s enemies.

He persecuted the church.

None of these things brought Paul joy or peace. They didn’t because he was using the wrong measuring stick.

Paul was outwardly obeying the demands of the law.

Paul inwardly was not experiencing the satisfaction of knowing God.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is not depending on our efforts, but on the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Philippians 3:7-11

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul first shares his losses:

What he had gained personally apart from Jesus

His reputation as a religious scholar

His reputation as a religious leader

His Jewish heritage

His religious achievement

Paul considered all of these that he once valued as loss and as rubbish or dung (I will let your mind translate that into 21^st century vernacular).

Paul lists his gains:
The knowledge of Jesus

The righteousness of Jesus

The fellowship with Jesus

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is giving up everything in our lives that is not of God and receiving what God wants to give us in Jesus.

Paul expresses his life goals in verse 10.

Paul wants to:

Know Jesus

Experience the power of Jesus’ resurrection

Share in suffering with Jesus over sin

Be like Jesus in His death (completely obedient to the Father)

Paul was able to desire these things and to experience these things because he had died to his old self, his old nature.

He had been crucified with Jesus and it was Jesus living in and through him.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is dying to our old self, our old nature and letting Jesus live His life through us.

 

Life to Paul was all about Jesus.

Life for us is to be all about Jesus.

With Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                        Joe