Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and it is the time when our witness of Christ as Savior is a prominence theme and more readily received. I suggest the church needs to do better to market the message and have a greater Christmas witness. You know that many businesses spend a lot of money to market their products especially at Christmas time because those sales will bulk up their year end bottom line.

There are some very impressive marketing slogans, jingles and messaging that were such a success they are well known today and effective. For example if I say, “Blop Blop fizz fizz what is the rest? What is the product? How about “like a good neighbor…. State Farm is there. How about Em, Em, good what the rest… Campbell soup is… The best part of waking up…is Folgers in your cup. What about “Things go better with… The winner with the most recognizable jingle is Nationwide. Since its slogan’s birth in 1964, the insurance firm has run ads for decades with the same soothing, seven-note jingle, giving it more than 50 years to seep into the consciousness of three generations of Americans. Nationwide has one of the best advertising slogans of all time and Campbell’s soup in the oldest still being used today since 1930.

Now if products can be marketed with these catchy messages I think the church can capitalize on that method too. I like the message we have on our sign for Christmas…Jesus is the reason….The church needs to do better to market the message and be a greater Christmas witness.

Will you have a Christmas witness? Note in the passage in verse 17 the Shepherds made know abroad the message of the Angel…

I The First Christmas Witness

1. The angelic announcement and the sign of a child in a feeding trough inspired the shepherds to tell as many as they could of what they heard and experienced. The angel told them to look for a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger (Luke 2:12). It wasn’t an unusual sign to see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, but it was strange to see a baby lying in a manger — a feeding trough. If the angel had not told them to look for such a specific sign, they would never have believed it. Bethlehem’s shepherds were known to care for the temple flock. These men may have also protected and cared for the lambs used in temple sacrifice. Verse 17 states. “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. This phrase is only one word in the Greek “dee-ag-no-rid’-zo” and it is the only time this word is used in the bible. It is unique in that it is only used here and conveys more than that we would think from our English, that these Shepherds told some people. It is stating that these men “made known thoroughly” they took seriously the angels command and gave attention to all aspects and details of this miracle birth.

2. All those who heard this message marveled at those things that those Shepherd spoke of. These Shepherds were the first Christmas witnesses. The shepherd’s good news amazed all who heard it. Even if the Shepherds didn’t fully understand it, they recognized that something significant had happened. They had a tremendous witness and responsibility to proclaim the message given by the angel, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”. Their lives and witness affected the world.

3. Our lives affect those we have contact with, whether you intend it to or not. It may be a positive experience for them or a negative one, but your life will affect others. Our witness for Christ can have a profound effect on others and change them for their entire life and for all eternally. You and I have a duty to proclaim Christ as the Savior and it can be very effective when it is a Christmas witness.

Government offices are closed on December 25 due to the observance of Christmas, a public holiday. Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and it is recognized as a time for family gatherings, religious observance, and celebration. Yet, we cannot mention Christ nor publicly display it is his birthday. Not even our own townships calls Christmas by its legal and prominent name no it Happy Holidays…

On this day, government offices, along with many businesses, schools, and other organizations, are typically closed to allow employees to celebrate Christmas. We need to proclaim Christ as the Savior.

4. I know some will say I want to but I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. So then renew your spirit and allow God to minister to you and others during the holidays. This is a wonderful opportunity that God has afforded us to reach our families and friends and make him known.

II The Indwelling Gift of Christmas

1. These Shepherds were given an honor and a gift to be the first to hear and proclaim the message of the Messiah’s birth. So, as the people of God we must be better at proclaiming God message of love to make him known. Before you can share the message of Christ’s birth you need the boldness of the Holy Spirit. The same boldness the Shepherds had seeing the angels proclaim the Messiah’s birth.

2. Listen, God has giving every believer a gift that will never stop giving. It is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. It is a gift you cannot lose. The spirit of Christmas is a spirit of a new life for all that will receive Him. The Christmas season has spiritual meaning that can serve as a source of renewal of our own faith and spiritual life. Don’t we want this joy for others? Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Co. 5:17

3. This gift of the indwelling Spirit is what makes us Christians. If the Spirit of God is not there, we are not Christians at all. As Paul says to the Romans 8:9, “He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his”. Though he is religious, though he is a member of a church, though he attends all the meetings and has signed his name to the register and goes through all the ceremonies, if he has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. That is essential.

4. Paul says in First Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for that unspeakable gift!” Don’t we want this joy for others? This gift is made known to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives Ephesians 1:13.We have so much more! We are given assurance with this gift of eternal life why not share this joy with others we will be blessed.

III Sharing this Gift of Christmas

1. While the Christmas season brings sentiments of joy and celebration for some, for others it is a time of isolation and an increase in feelings of depression and negative thoughts. In fact, numerous studies confirm that there is an increase in both the numbers and severity of 911 calls by depressed individuals during the holiday season. People lives do not change nor do their circumstances just because it is Christmas so we need to do a better job of sharing Jesus.

Some people are very discouraged at Christmas… They are angry with God because of a hardships and Christmas just brings up all that anger and bitterness towards God. For others God is absent from their lives. I want to suggest to you today that no matter what the circumstances are sharing the message of God’s love is sharing his word and we are promise His word will not return void it will accomplish it’s goal.

2. Once a person is saved God is able to keep him from losing that salvation. Christ promised that His sheep would never perish but have eternal life

John10:28 Jesus said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

… “Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory” (Jude 24).

3. Christmas is about giving to others and can you possibly give a better gift than the message the angel told those lowly shepherds? It will go a long way in blessing them and you celebrating this joyful season. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Dr. Luke shares this truth on Acts 20:35.

Conclusion:

God granted you this gift of salvation to make you to make him known. You have a new heart–you are not who you used to be!  As a result you can do what you couldn’t do before–you can forgive…you can love… you can live! Don’t you want this for your love ones?