Twin worship commence at 11am and 3pm Sunday 6/12/15
Opening prayer - Pastor
Singspiration - worship team
Pastoral prayer - Pastor
Toppers’ Award - Sunday School 2nd Test Exam results
Child dedication rite - Pastor
Sermon - Pastor
Topic - The joy of Christmas
Bible verse - Proverbs-17:22
Pastor based his sermon on the topic 'the joy of Christmas' and delivered by stressing 'on what should we base our joy' relating with the monthly service topic of December 'Christian family and spending a quality time together'. He said, as we are ready and excited to celebrate Christmas we all want to enjoy and be happy with our friends, family and dear ones. But as we try to do that let us not forget to introspect ourselves on what / where should our joy be base? Where does our joy of Christmas lie? We must understand that we should not spend it on our own enjoyment or base it upon certain things. The real joy lies in spending according to God otherwise we may fail to receive the true joy and gifts of Christmas.
Reciting the chosen verse, Proverbs 17:22 'A MERRY HEART DOETH GOOD LIKE A MEDICINE; BUT A BROKEN SPIRIT DRIETH THE BONES' (kjv). Pastor explains that if a joyful heart/peaceful mind is a good medicine for the body, in opposite a burdened heart/broken spirit weaken the bone. So for a man to have a good health he needs a joyful heart and even so..if he has a slight deficiency of a component forming the bone he has weakness, myalgia and difficulty moving around. Then, he sure cannot have a good life either. So, where does this joy comes? That joy which our body needs to have a peaceful mind?
On secular approach-
1) The gift of joy- this gift of joy gives us happiness because when a man gives just for this sake, in due time the happiness change to pride. Men begin to name their pride which is against the bible.
2) Positive thinking- positive thoughts can lead to a happy heart which is not always applicable as men are earthly creatures and they cannot always stay positive. In fact, however positive you want to be .. if it is wrong it will always be wrong like the bible says a sin will always be a sin.
The above two points are true and did leads to certain happiness but not the joy that we want to have. So, where does this joy comes from? How can we achieve this joy?
Rather, the real question is finding joy in Christmas. And how do we find the real joy in Christmas.
1) Like Franklin Graham says- The cost of Christmas or An expensive Christmas --
Christmas is so costly and expensive that we cannot just spend the way we want or enjoy our own way because
a) God gave us his only begotten son
b) Jesus himself came to earth leaving his tributes of GOD and live as a man
c) Shared everything humane and suffer
d) Went through insults, embarrassment and died on the cross to give us spiritual resurrection
2) Gifts --
a) The gift of forgiveness (John3:16-18) salvation
b) The gift of hope (John3:16-18) everlasting life
c) The gift of peace (Romans 5:1) peace with God through Jesus
3) Christmas joy –
a) Not for the decorations but for the love God has upon us
b) Not for the new clothes but because he himself sacrifice his life for us
c) Not for the wealth we have but for the gifts he has given us
D) Not for our friends but for the eternal life he has promised us
Pastor conclude his speech with the message that Christmas is expensive because of the precious gifts that God has given us and we should base our joy on that knowing the scripture that a merry heart doeth godlike a medicine but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Benediction- Upa Thangkhosiam
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By- Nenem Guite
Content Writer | Media Team
