Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO A real Christmas Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA December 7, 2003 The Second Sunday in Advent Main Scripture text: Isaiah 9:6. I've brought two Christmas tree boughs with me. At a distance, they look much the same, but on closer examination, you'll see that one of them is artificial. It's not the real thing. In the same way, we can have an "artificial" Christmas. We can sing the songs, participate in all the hustle and bustle, buy and the gifts, eat the food, go to the parties and gatherings, and still have an artificial Christmas. There is only one thing that makes Christmas "real." The essence of Christmas is this: "To us a child is born, to us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is the reason for the season. That's not just a cute slogan to put on our gift-wrappings and cards. It's the truth. With Jesus any Christmas is real! Without Jesus, no Christmas is real. A real Christmas must be focused on the coming of God's Son to be a part of life with people on earth. He was God in human flesh. He grew up to give His life for the sins of the world. He came to be the Savior of all who will believe in Him and receive Him. How can we be sure that our Christmas is the real thing, not artificial? We can start by asking ourselves some questions: Will this Christmas help me: 1) . . . to experience the presence of God, to know that Jesus not only came to a manager 2000 years ago but also comes to me now? 2) . . . to know that God loves me and shows me that love in real ways? 3) . . . to share this good news with others so they can know God's love revealed in Jesus Christ and experience His presence with us through the Holy Spirit? It's not the parties and the commercialization that make Christmas artificial. Christmas becomes artificial when we allow those things to become a substitute for -- or to overshadow -- the real thing. You can always have a real Christmas if you'll simply remember -- and be sure to proclaim -- that "unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given," and "to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Supporting text: John 1:12 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here. (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 031207a: A Real Christmas. © 2003 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us