1.The Son of God emptied himself and came into the world in Jesus Christ, becoming a servant.

2.He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice.

1.The Son of God emptied himself and came into the world in Jesus Christ, becoming a servant. 2.He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. 3.He rose from the grave as the firstfruits of a whole renewed world. ~ from Simon Gathercole, “The Gospel of Paul and the Gospel of the Kingdom,” in God’s Power to Save, ed. Chris Green (Nottingham, UK: InterVarsity, 2006), 138 – 54.

Gonna Party like it’s 1999!

The Manger Invasion Philippians 2:5-8 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

“ Though Jesus was rich, he became poor. Though he was a king, he served. Though he was the greatest, he made himself the servant of all. He triumphed over sin not by taking up power but by serving sacrificially. He “won” through losing everything. This is a complete reversal of the world’s way of thinking, which values power, recognition, wealth, and status. The gospel, then, creates a new kind of servant community, with people who live out an entirely alternate way of being human. Racial and class superiority, accrual of money and power at the expense of others, yearning for popularity and recognition — all are marks of living in the world. They represent the opposite of the gospel mind-set.” ~ Tim Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Zondervan, 2012), page 46

The Old Rugged Cross Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

The Old Rugged Cross Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

“ Jesus took our place on the cross and accomplished salvation for us, which we receive freely as a gift. Traditional religion teaches that if we do good deeds and follow the moral rules in our external behavior, God will come into our hearts, bless us, and give us salvation. In other words, if I obey, God will love and accept me. But the gospel is the reverse of this: If I know in my heart that God has accepted me and loves me freely by grace, then I can begin to obey, out of inner joy and gratitude. Religion is outside in, but the gospel is inside out. We are justified by grace alone, not by works; we are beautiful and righteous in God’s sight by the work of Christ. Once we gain this understanding on the inside, it revolutionizes how we relate to God, to ourselves, and to others on the outside.” ~ Tim Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Zondervan, 2012), page 47

The Resurrection Hope 1 Corinthians 15: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

The Resurrection Hope 1 Corinthians 15: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 2 Corinthians 1: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

“ Christians now live in light of that future reality. We evangelize, telling people about the gospel and preparing them for the judgment. We also help the poor and work for justice, because we know that this is God’s will and that he will ultimately overcome all oppression. We teach Christians to integrate their faith and their work so they can be culture makers, working for human flourishing — the common good. The “already but not yet” of the kingdom keeps us from utopian, triumphalistic visions of cultural takeover on the one hand, and from pessimism or withdrawal from society on the other.” ~ Tim Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Zondervan, 2012), page 46

Thief #1 Giving the Perfect Gift

A Treichler Christmas Crisis:

“ON THE LIST” GIFTS VRS. “PERCEPTIVE” GIFTS

The Problem Defined

1.“I don’t know what to get! Will it be equal to the gift I am going to receive? Will they like it? I hate disappointing people when they open their gift. This whole thing is simply stressing me out!”

The Problem Defined 1.“I don’t know what to get! Will it be equal to the gift I am going to receive? Will they like it? I hate disappointing people when they open their gift. This whole thing is simply stressing me out!” 2.“I want to get this whole thing done. If I’m honest, I am way more concerned that I fulfill this obligation that if others are happy or not. I’m only doing this because of the social pressure in my family/friendship circles.”

The Problem Defined 1.“I don’t know what to get! Will it be equal to the gift I am going to receive? Will they like it? I hate disappointing people when they open their gift. This whole thing is simply stressing me out!”

The Problem Defined 1.“I don’t know what to get! Will it be equal to the gift I am going to receive? Will they like it? I hate disappointing people when they open their gift. This whole thing is simply stressing me out!” PEOPLE PLEASING

The Problem Defined 2.“I want to get this whole thing done. If I’m honest, I am way more concerned that I fulfill this obligation that if others are happy or not. I’m only doing this because of the social pressure in my family/friendship circles.”

The Problem Defined 2.“I want to get this whole thing done. If I’m honest, I am way more concerned that I fulfill this obligation that if others are happy or not. I’m only doing this because of the social pressure in my family/friendship circles.” SELFISHNESS

Solving the Problem: Applying the Gospel to Thief #1

Solving the Problem: Applying the Gospel to Thief #1 Understanding Gifts

Solving the Problem: Applying the Gospel to Thief #1 Understanding Gifts Learning How to Care w/o Strings

Understanding Gifts

1 gift ~ noun \ ˈ gift\ “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation” Understanding Gifts

1 gift ~ noun \ ˈ gift\ “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation” Understanding Gifts

Matthew 6:1-4 1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Understanding Gifts Matthew 7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Understanding Gifts John 3:16 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.

Learning How to Care w/o Strings

2 Corinthians 5: For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Learning How to Care w/o Strings Philippians 2:3-6 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Christmas Application:

Will you use this Christmas season as an opportunity to live out the gospel in gift giving?