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 Do they know? Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA December 12, 2004 (Third Sunday in Advent) Main Scripture text: John 1:1-5, 10-14. Our choir has just sung these words: "It may be Christmas -- but do they know?" Many people will have a Christmas tree; they'll give and receive gifts; they may even have a manger scene on their coffee table or mantle. Many of them will get together with family and have Christmas dinner. They'll enjoy their gifts, and watch the children play with their new toys. All around us, people will go through the traditional rituals of celebrating Christmas -- but do they really know what they celebrating? The meaning of Christmas is this: The birth of Jesus was the manifestation -- in human flesh -- of the God of the universe. God became a human being to redeem us from sin, so we could become what God intended us to be! In Jesus we see what humanity is supposed to be like. Yes, He is deity and we're not -- but Romans 8 that God's plan is that Jesus was to be "the firstborn among many brothers." We, the church, are the incarnation of God in the world today. That's why the church is called "the Body of Christ." The incredible claim of Scripture is that Jesus Christ has the power to reproduce His life in us, the power to introduce his own heredity into people just like you and me. Do the people around us know? No, many of them don't have a clue what Christmas is really about -- and they won't know unless we show them and tell them. If the world doesn't see the life of God in us and hear the truth of God from us, where will they see it? Where will they hear it? Christmas is a great time of year to be a witness for Jesus. The whole nation is celebrating His birth and they don't even realize it. Opportunity knocks every day. Will you tell people you come into contact with that a Savior is born? Supporting texts: 2 Corinthians 5:21 | Romans 8:29 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here (15:00). (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 041212a: Do They Know? © 2004 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us