Matthew 20:1-16

Political Political correctness correctness

treats treats Christmas as a Christmas as a

SECULAR holiday these holiday these

days.days.

These Advent These Advent Sermons are Sermons are coordinated coordinated

with lines from with lines from POPULARPOPULAR Christmas Christmas

songs.songs.

How did you How did you RESPONDRESPOND to the to the

song “Santa Claus is song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town?”Coming to Town?”

Oh you better Oh you better watch out!watch out!

You better not cry.You better not cry.You better not You better not

pout.pout.I’m telling you why:I’m telling you why:

Santa Claus is Santa Claus is coming to town!coming to town!

He’s making a list He’s making a list and he’s checking and he’s checking it twice. He’s going it twice. He’s going

to find out who’s to find out who’s naughty or nice.naughty or nice.

Santa Claus is Santa Claus is coming to town.coming to town.

You better You better BEHAVEBEHAVE, because , because

Santa is Santa is WATCHINGWATCHING you all you all

the time.the time.

He’s keeping He’s keeping accurate accurate

RECORDSRECORDS of of good or bad good or bad

behavior.behavior.

How you behave How you behave will impact what will impact what

you you GETGET for for Christmas.Christmas.

So, watch out!So, watch out!

There are a lot of There are a lot of people who think people who think about about GODGOD in a in a

similar way.similar way.

God is God is watchingwatching you all the time!you all the time!

He’s keeping He’s keeping TRACKTRACK of what of what you do- good or you do- good or

bad. bad.

We don’t know We don’t know when he’s when he’s

COMINGCOMING BACKBACK (or when we will (or when we will die) so be alert die) so be alert

and be and be PREPAREDPREPARED. .

We need to give We need to give priority to the priority to the

things of things of ETERNALETERNAL value.value.

Although we Although we don’t know what don’t know what the future holds, the future holds,

we know that we know that GODGOD is in control is in control

and He can be and He can be TRUSTEDTRUSTED!!

It was this way when It was this way when Christ Christ FIRSTFIRST came.came.

God gave Israel God gave Israel PROPHECIESPROPHECIES of of the coming of the coming of the Messiahthe Messiah

John the Baptist John the Baptist came to tell came to tell

people to get people to get PREPAREDPREPARED for for the Messiahthe Messiah

He told them to He told them to REPENTREPENT of their of their

sins and be sins and be baptized.baptized.

But most of But most of Israel wasIsrael was

UNPREPAREDUNPREPARED and didn’t and didn’t

acknowledge acknowledge him as God’s him as God’s

SONSON..

What does God What does God expect of us?expect of us?

Joyfully Joyfully anticipate Jesus’ anticipate Jesus’ COMINGCOMING AGAINAGAIN..

SERVESERVE God God faithfully until faithfully until

He comes.He comes.

When He When He comes, will you comes, will you

be prepared?be prepared?

What a joyful What a joyful day that will be day that will be

if you are!if you are!