Advent Angels Angels Watching Over Me

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Advent Angels Angels Watching Over Me

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Advent Angels Angels Watching Over Me

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Advent Angels Angels Watching Over Me

• The 22 year old driver and his 18 year old
  passenger were unhurt except for minor cuts and
  bruises!
• God had plans for these 2 people!

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• I know a widow who
• cringes every time
• someone says,
• Merry Christmas.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• She is not an Ebenezer Scrooge.
• She wishes people a
• Blessed Christmas.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• Ever since her husband died, she doesnt like
  the word,
• Merry.
• Christmas would never be the same again.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• What for many is an eagerly anticipated joyous
  family time,
• for her it is an anticipated time of loneliness.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• The stores have taken her beloved Christmas
  carols
• and used them to make people buy more.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• For her Merry represented an empty joy.
• Give like Santa,
• Save like Scrooge.
• Emptiness of materialism.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• Then she come to church only to hear a sermon on
  
• the Angels message,
• I bring you good news of great joy.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great
  joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in
  the town of David a Savior has been born to you
  he is Christ the Lord. Luke 210-11
• Notice that the angel does not say,
• Be Merry!
• nor
• Be Joyful!
• Telling someone to be happy rarely works.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great
  joy that will be for all the people. Today in the
  town of David a Savior has been born to you he
  is Christ the Lord. Luke 210-11
• Joy is a by-product of the great news.
• Today in the town of David a Savior has been
  born to you he is Christ the Lord.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• As the Sunday School students have reminded us
  today
• God loves you and me.
• We have peace with God through Forgiveness in
  Jesus.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• This Love and Peace is what gives us Joy
• These presents from God come to us
• through Gods
• presence in Jesus in the manger.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• It may be hard for you kids to imagine that
  Grandma may be lonely
• Sitting with the family
• Everyone laughing
• You see a tear in Grandmas eye
• she misses grandpa

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• But even though she may be sad, she knows the
  joy of Christmas.
• -She knows Gods loves
• - She knows peace with God because her sins are
  forgiven.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• She has the joy of knowing that because
• of Gods love and forgiveness,
• her husband is experiencing Joy
• in heaven with Jesus.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• Maybe a parallel story will help
• My Mom and Dad lived in Holland during WWII
• News of the liberation of the Netherlands
• Freedom from the oppressive enemy
• This was news of great joy!

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• The Joy that the news of the end of the war was
  great.
• But it did not remove their sadness for the
• family and friends
• who died in the war.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• The Bible says that we do not grieve as those who
  have no hope.
• I Thesalonians 413

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• We know the present of Gods love and
• peace that brings us joy
• was bought with
• the blood of Jesus.

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• This deep joy overshadows the sadness in our
  lives.
• This Joy is life changing!
• World changing!

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Advent Angels Those Celebrating Angels

• The Angels could not help but break into
• songs of praise to
• God
• for this incredible
• news of great joy.