R938 The Christmas Tree

We all could use some encouragement and we'll find it together today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on Christmas. Yes, here it is, the beginning of December.

Why not go ahead and begin to think about making these holidays, holy days in 2020, this unique year, a little Christmas, a little early is a good idea. And today we'll head to Matthew chapter one, verse 18 with Dr. Don Wilton as we think about how we celebrate these days together. Know that we're together with you, happy to connect with you on our phone at 866-899-WORD or online as well. That's 866-899-9673 or online at www.tewonline.org.

It's a brand new site. If you haven't been lately, come join us at www.tewonline.org. Now today's message, The Christmas Tree with Dr. Don Wilson. Would you join me as we thank the Lord for this wonderful day of celebration together. Our Father, we are so grateful for Christmas time, all around the world, people gathering to celebrate. And we understand that, Father, there are so many things that we do at Christmas time.

We shop and we give gifts and we meet with family and with friends and loved ones. But Father, it's all about you, about Christmas and how grateful we are. We do pray for one another. We do pray, Lord, that you, the one born in Bethlehem, would become so real in each heart and each life, that lives would never be the same.

How can we ever be the same? For our Savior is alive. How much we pray, Lord, for those particularly at a time like this who have special needs, for those who are lonely and hungry. Father, thank you for a giving people. Thank you for churches just like this one, and all around the country where people are gathering and giving.

Lord, it's so much more important to give than it is to receive, because we've received the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Father, we remember our men and women in uniform today. We honor them. We thank you for them, those particularly that are deployed overseas. Bless them today, Lord, in this week. Bless their families who are back here in the United States, who miss them terribly.

Watch over them. And Lord, they will look forward, we are certain, for a grand reunion. So Lord, bless us this morning as we study your Word and as we celebrate the wonderful birth of our Savior, because it is in His name that we pray these things together. Amen. Well, it's just lovely to see you today.

It really is. We're going to be talking about the Christmas tree today. How many of you got a Christmas tree at home? You know what we do at Christmas?

We get, we've always done this, even when my Rob and Greg and Shelley were just two bricks in a tiki high. That's about that big, about up to here. About up to here.

Let me see. About right up to about there. That's two bricks in a tiki. Sorry, you guys didn't see that, did you? About right up to there.

Two bricks in a tiki high. Someone passed a comment over there. You know what we do? We go out, we go and we buy a Christmas tree. I mean, we just go and find it and look for it. And we always inevitably get one that's too big. And then guess who's got to pull it through the door?

Me. That's right. And then you pull that thing through the door. And then we put it up and usually it's too big.

So we've got to snip it somewhere. And then we put all things on it and lights and all kinds of decorations. And we have Christmas music and we just have the best time in the world and you get everything organized. You know what you don't want to happen? Is everybody go to bed after you've put it up and do all that work about three o'clock in the morning, you suddenly hear kaboom! And the Christmas tree falls down, right? You don't want that to happen.

I thought today that I'm going to begin by reading you one of my favorite stories about the tale of the three trees. Okay. Now I've put a monitor up there because you're all used to watching monitors. Okay. And I put a monitor up there and you're going to see some of those pictures.

So it's going to be hard for me to walk around and show all of you the pictures all the time. But this is a wonderful story about three trees. Let me see what happened here. It is so very special.

I need to put that down there and open my book. It is called The Tale of Three Trees, a wonderful traditional folk tale. Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds above him. I want to hold treasure, he said. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in all the world.

Well, the second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by all on its way to the ocean. I want to be a strong sailing ship, he said. I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest sailing ship in all the world. The third little tree looked down, down into the valley below where busy men and busy women were working in a busy town.

I don't want to leave this mountain top at all, she said. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they will raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in all the world. Well, years passed by, the rains came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. Then one day, you will never believe what happened, three woodcutters climbed up the mountain and each one of them had an axe in their hand. The first one looked at the first tree and said, oh this tree is so beautiful, it is perfect for me and with a swoosh and a swoosh bang with these axe, boom, boom, boom, down went the tree and just went crashing down. Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, thought the first tree.

I shall hold wonderful treasure. Well guess what happened to the second tree? The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, this tree is strong, it's perfect for me and with a swoop of his shiny axe, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, boom, boom, boom, boom, down went the tree. I mean just crashed down like that. Now I shall sail mighty waters, thought the second tree.

I shall be strong ship fit for kings. Well the third tree felt her heart sink. When the last woodcutter looked her way, she stood straight and tall, pointed bravely up to heaven but the woodcutter didn't even look up. Any kind of tree will do for me, he muttered and with a swoop and a swoosh of his shiny axe, he cut the third tree down and boom, down it went. All three trees had been chopped down. Well the first tree was so happy when the woodcutter brought him to a carpenter's shop but the busy carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests, instead his work-worn hands fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals.

Now can you imagine that? The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold or filled with treasure, he was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. Well the second tree, the second tree just smiled when the woodcutter took him to the shipyard but no mighty sailing ships were being made on that day. Instead the one strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to a little lake. Every day he brought in loads of dead smelly fish. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumber yard.

What happened? The one once tall tree wondered, all I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountain top and point to God. Well many, many days and nights passed by and the three trees nearly forgot about their dreams but one night a golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. I wish I could make a cradle for him, her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. This manger is beautiful, she said and suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in all the world. Well one evening a tired traveller and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat.

The traveller fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and rain.

The tired man awakened. He stood up and he stretched out his hand and he said, peace be still. The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun and suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth. Well on Friday morning the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry, jeering crowd.

She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel but on Sunday morning when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew exactly, exactly what God, that God's love had changed everything. It had made the first tree so beautiful. It had made the second tree so strong and every time people thought of the third tree they would think of God. That was better, don't you think, than being the tallest tree in the whole wide world.

Boy that is just so much fun to read that and to think about it. You know it reminds me of the Christmas story. You know the Bible tells us about the Christmas story in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 18 and I'm going to just read that for you this morning in Matthew chapter 1 and verse 18. The Bible says, this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her. He had in mind to put her away quietly but after he had considered this an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him, Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet that the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel which means God with us. What I'm going to do right now is I want to talk for just a minute about that Christmas tree that we've been talking about because you know sometimes we have Christmas trees and we do all the wonderful things at Christmas and we have so much fun and so much laughter and so much good food and we play outside and do all kinds of things and then maybe we just forget a little bit don't you think about the real reason why we have Christmas and you know something every time you look at that Christmas tree it can help you to remember why we have Christmas. You know I look at the shape of the Christmas tree it's got a top part and then it's got a bottom part like that and if you look at it it's kind of like in a triangle and you know it reminds me who God is because it reminds me of God the Father, it reminds me of God the Son and it reminds me of God the Holy Spirit. Do you know that the Bible tells us that God is three people in one person. He is God the Father then He's Son the Lord Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem and then He is the Holy Spirit who comes and He lives in our hearts and when you look at the Christmas tree you think then the shape of the Christmas tree you think about God and about who God is and that God would love us so very much that He would send His only Son to come to this earth and to be born in Bethlehem and then to grow up and to minister to people and to go out on the lake and tell even the waves to be quiet and to be still and then He went to the cross and He gave His life and He was killed but on the third day He rose up again didn't He. He rose up and then after He appeared to a whole lot of people He went back up into heaven and when He went back up into heaven boys and girls He didn't leave us by Himself did He, by ourselves did He. He sent His Holy Spirit to come and to live in our hearts that's why God is with us, Immanuel, God with us and so when I look at the Christmas tree I think of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Forgive the interruption Dr. Don wants us to take a break just to remind you we're here for you we're taking your calls at 866-899-WORD and meeting online at TEWONLINE.ORG a great place to discover wonderful resources and during this holiday time you know people are a little more open to talking about Christ and the Christ of Christmas maybe this is the time to invite someone to TEWONLINE.ORG our website or to listen to the broadcast with you tomorrow and feel free to know that we're here to encourage you as you encourage them to pray for you as you pray for your lost friends now let's go back to today's message on the Christmas tree with Dr. Don Wilton. Wonderful to think about who God is but you know another thing I look at when I look at Christmas trees I can't help but think of the wood a lot of wood on that Christmas tree isn't it I tell you when I go and get a Christmas tree I'm telling you I say to that man there who's giving me those Christmas trees listen you need to just cut that wood a little bit so that the tree's a little bit smaller for me you know where they begin they grow them all over the place up in the mountains and all over and then someone comes a woodcutter comes and he chops down that wood and we all know what wood is now we've just heard a wonderful story about three uses of the wood what happened to the first tree someone cut it down and what became of the first tree what would they do with the wood made it into a manger wasn't that a beautiful thing to make well what happened to the second tree made it into a boat and you know even today on the Sea of Galilee they have boats just like that made out of wood like Jesus got into when the big storm came up well what happened to the third tree what happened to her made her into a cross and Jesus was crucified on a cross you know when you think about about you know the wood on the tree there's lots of things you can think about but I'm telling you I think about lots of things with that wood you know I think like the manger especially at Christmas time that wonderful manger that the little baby Jesus was placed into you know at winter time especially where we live and everything looks so dry and and all the leaves are falling off and we all have these wonderful green trees in our house have you ever seen someone with a dirty brown no leaf yucky looking Christmas tree huh you have okay well we've got one here okay but you know most of us have green Christmas trees in our house and you know boys and girls when I look at at the green leaves of a Christmas tree do you know what I think about I think about evergreen I think about everlasting life I think about the fact that the love of the Lord Jesus never goes away always there isn't that wonderful isn't that absolutely wonderful so here we are looking at this Christmas tree huh and I look at the shape and I see God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and I look at the wood and I think about the manger and then I look at the leaves and I say you know that's exactly what the Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his Son the Lord Jesus that whoever believes in him should never die but should always have life and we know that that life is not only on this earth but it's always in heaven with the Lord Jesus well there's another thing about trees that I just love you know what it is someone guess what I'm thinking about what am I thinking about lights that's what I'm thinking about I'm thinking about the light look at these lights have you driven around in some of the neighbourhoods and seen all the pretty lights I wonder what lights remind us of you know what Jesus said when he came he said I'm the light light of the world isn't that wonderful I am the light of the world and he said that when we trust him as our personal Saviour and Lord that he comes into our hearts and he lights us up with his love he gives us joy because he forgives us of our sin and he sets us free and his light chases away all the things that are dark and yucky and ugly that the Bible calls call sin I love looking at lights at Christmas but you know I think on Christmas day when I wake up and when we have all kinds of things to do and a lot of fun I'm going to look at those lights and I think I'm going to say thank you Lord Jesus that you are the light of the world there's one more thing I have got to talk about I'm just I can't remember it's something special about Christmas trees let me think now there was one other thing we do at Christmas I can't remember what it is someone help me what what what are we missing here huh yes putting up a star absolutely all right we you've got to put up a star how many of you love to put the angel on top hands up that's very precious but there's but there's something down here I don't want to look too carefully because I might know what it is but there's something down here that I think I might have forgotten do you know that the deacons gave me a couple of presents and you will never guess what they gave me do you know that I can almost guarantee you that I could hold the microphone around here I don't think anybody here would be able to tell me what this is it looks like a brolly but it ain't you will never believe what the deacons gave me it's a cricket bat this is a cricket bat did you know that Upward is all over the world and do you know folks that Upward is even starting to introduce for boys and girls cricket in places like South Africa far away on the other side of the world and do you know that the deacons got me a cricket bat signed by the South African cricket team that is like if I told you that at the world series next year that the MVP of the world series next year who hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to win the world series signed a baseball and then got all the members of the world champions to sign that baseball and give you that baseball that's how much that means to me I got a cricket bat hey do you know what also happened I got the best gift of all boys and girls you're not gonna believe this isn't it a wonderful thing when we celebrate Christmas to think that the greatest gift of all is that God gave to us the Lord Jesus who became a tiny little fetus a living person from the very moment of conception when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary life began and that little baby began to live and little Jesus began to grow and on Christmas day that mommy reached full term and she gave birth to a beautiful little baby boy and his name is Jesus when I think about Christmas lots of things I'm going to think about when I look at the Christmas tree but the thing that I'm going to think about most of all it's the greatest gift of all the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ it is indeed the greatest gift of all but every gift has to be received have you received the love of Jesus Christ do you have questions about this gift let's talk about it let's pray about it at eight six six eight nine nine word or let's go keyboard to keyboard on our website at TEW online dot org that's eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three not just now but anytime as Dr. Don would say we'd be happy to be one of your 2 a.m friends or online at TEW online dot org before we get away the receiving of that gift that's what Dr. Don's going to talk about next are you ready would you pray this prayer with me right now dear God I know that Jesus loves me and that he died on a cross for me today I repent of my sin and I confess my sin to the Lord Jesus and I give him my heart and my life in Jesus name I pray amen if you've prayed that prayer from your heart and you've given your life to Christ I welcome you to the family of God you are my brother my sister in Christ let's get engaged together because we are connected together forever as believers in Christ if in these last few moments you've prayed along with Dr. Wilton you've given your life to Christ or you've rededicated your life to Jesus we have wonderful unique resources Dr. Wilton is prepared just for you absolutely free just call and let us know what God's doing in your life 866-899 word is the phone number that's 866-899-9673 not just now but 24 hours a day we'd love to talk with you about giving your life to Jesus Christ the joy of our ministry is that every single day someone gives their heart to Jesus through our ministry it's why we do what we do and many of you that are standing alongside of us that are financially and prayerfully giving to the ministry what you're called encouragers and if you don't know what that's all about here's Liz with the details about how you can become an 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