Ugly Christmas Sweater -sc.com

 Ugly Christmas Sweater Week 1: Ugly ThoughtsScripture: Philippians 4:4-8 // Luke 2:8-11Main Idea: The war of life is fought in the battlefield of the mind. The things we do are first thoughts we think. We are wired for negativity, but God can rewire us for thoughts of joy. When we allow God to work within us, and when we choose to focus on good things, Christmas will be merry and bright.Think: My ugly thoughts are where my ugly words, motives, and actions originate. Feel: I do not have a reason to entertain ugly thoughts. The good news of Christ’s birth will not allow it. Do: Make a list of all the good in my life to focus my thoughts on.Introduction(Consider wearing a different ugly Christmas sweater each week during the messages for this series. Change it up each week. Invite others to do the same.)Today we begin a brand new series for the Christmas season called Ugly Christmas Sweater. Maybe you have a tradition like many people of having a festive party with friends and everyone choosing the ugliest, most obnoxious, or gaudy sweater they can find. This party usually involves jingle bells, candy canes, lights, puff paint, ribbons, and bows. It’s fun to drink cider and eat cookies while looking as goofy as possible. It’s now become a bit of a cultural phenomenon. Though there are people who love to wear ugly Christmas sweaters each year at parties, what I have found is that some people choose to embrace ugly attitudes along with them. Christmas is meant to be a time of joy and happiness based upon the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Too often, this fact gets lost in ugly thoughts, words, motives, and actions. This Christmas, things can change and you can celebrate Jesus in the way you think, speak, and live toward the people around you. The first week of this series, we want to focus on our thoughts, because our words and actions originate internally before they are expressed externally. If we can catch them within, then we have a good chance, along with the spirit of God, to rewire our thoughts and help us live lives of joy and blessing.Main teachingREWIRING OUR MINDThis can be a tricky and difficult endeavor, but it is necessary to experience transformation.Illustration: (Have a box on stage full of Christmas lights. They can be tangled up and a mess. Have the strand work except for one missing bulb. Have a bulb ready to put in.) One of the most difficult parts of Christmas each year is when we pull out the old Christmas lights in order to prepare them to light up our house or tree. It never fails: there will always be a bulb out. A single bulb of all the bulbs that cause the entire strand to go dark. You have to untangle and trace until you find the source of the problem, and then you can finally rewire and replace the bulb to make everything work again. Rewiring our minds can be just as tedious and daunting. Often, we take years to formulate our thought processes and the default places to where our mind goes. The scriptures often speak to our thoughts as a way of rewiring our lives. The two are forever connected. In fact, Paul writes to the church in Philippi in his closing thoughts in the book of Philippians. Often in the closing of a letter, the author says the things he or she sees as most important. READ Philippians 4:4-7“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Paul gives them a command in the very first verse: Rejoice! Paul was familiar with all the reasons his listeners would have to grumble, complain, and be frustrated or dismayed. The truth is, we often have these same kinds of feelings. These feelings affect our thinking. They make us anxious; they make us jaded; they make us question God, and they make us want to give up. This all begins in our minds. However, Paul offers us a method of rewiring: Rejoice! Even in the midst of all the reasons we have for negativity, choose to rejoice because of the Lord. Rather than be anxious, bring these reasons for anxiety to the Lord in prayer. He is near after all. It is all a reason to rejoice. Paul even offers a promise with this. If we do this, if we rejoice in the Lord always, the peace of God will guard our hearts and our MINDS in Christ Jesus. How different might our lives be if we began with all the reasons to rejoice rather than focusing on all our reasons for frustration? This one little tip from Paul, to rejoice, can be like a single lightbulb that causes everything to work in proper order. Paul elaborates:READ Philippians 4:8“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”In this passage, we are given clear direction as to where our thinking and mindset should go. Paul says whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy; let your mind focus on these things. Of all things during Christmas, what is the most true, most noble, most right, most pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? If we could discover that one thing, perhaps our thoughts could be transformed from ugly to beautiful before they ever result in actions. In order to do this, we have to think differently than before. We have to have a one-track mind.ONE-TRACK MINDThis one thing is found in a passage from the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2. On the heels of Jesus’ birth, the incarnation of God, there are shepherds in a field nearby watching their sheep. Unaware of the miracle that just took place, angels appear to them. READ Luke 2:8-11“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”The most true, most noble, most right, most pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy news is brought to the lowly shepherds in a field at night. It was what they called “good news” or “good tidings.” We can also understand this as “the gospel.”This good news, to focus our minds and thoughts, is that a Savior has come to rescue the world from the destructive forces of evil and sin. This was worth rejoicing about and keeping at the forefront of not only minds of the shepherds, but ours as well.The Jewish people were waiting for hundreds of years for a Messiah, someone who would come and free them from the bondage of the Roman government as well as the bondage of sin and death. That time had finally come. One unknown author said it this way…“If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.”Our greatest need has always been to receive forgiveness for our sinful state and a chance at new life. The birth of Jesus was the good news and we can receive that today. This is the reason Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, because of the birth of a baby who was the God who came near us in the flesh. The book of Psalms offers us a clear way to keep this mindset during the holidays as well. READ Psalm 103:2“Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits--”The writer is reminding himself to be grateful. He is rewiring his mind toward the things of God. He is keeping himself from being an ugly Christmas sweater by remembering. I love what he pens at the end: “forget not all his benefits.” What benefits - (gifts) has God brought you this year? ConclusionJOY DOES NOT PRECEDE GRATITUDE, GRATITUDE PRECEDES JOYSometimes we think once we get all the things we want, then we will finally be joyful. Sometimes we think once things go our way, then we can be joyful. This is backward. There are people all over who have more than enough and are still miserable. We have to become good at reminding ourselves of all of God’s blessings in our lives. We have to keep it always before us and find practical ways to influence our thoughts in a positive way before they become words and actions. It is through gratitude that our anger and frustration can be bent towards love. (Pastor: Share a story here of remembering… Here’s an example of one from my life: My grandparents had a sunroom off the back of their house. To enter it, you had to go through double wood doors with glass squares in them. Each Christmas my grandmother would take every single Christmas card she received and tape them up on those doors. By Christmas Eve, the doors would be covered in these cards. They were a physical reminder to her of all the people she loved, and all the reasons for her to be grateful. She exhibited such joy during Christmas, and I would argue it had a lot to do with her resting her thoughts on Jesus and the blessings that he brings.) We cannot forget. For the beginning of this series, I want to invite you to take some reflective time to consider all the reasons you have to be joyful. You can rewire your minds and fully embrace the Christmas season for all that it is and all that it could be. Take time today and reflect on the blessings of God in your life… all his benefits. What are they? Think on those things and be thankful. Maybe this one little thing could light up your Christmas like never before.(Consider having a card/sheet everyone receives to be able to write these things down and keep with them. Maybe have a tree set up for ornaments to be hung with joys written on them. Maybe have a board up front where people can come write down these joys visually.)Let’s pray together. ................
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