Series: “From Turkey to Jerky” – How to survive the Holidays without making a mess of your life

                   The Seven Irrevocable Laws Of Christmas.

1. The time that you spend find a parking space is inversely proportional to the amount of time you have to spend shopping.

2. The other check-out line always moves faster – if you don’t believe me, change lines and see what happens.

3. Beware of the three most frightening words – Some Assembly Required. Be aware that unassembled toys take three times as long to assemble as they say, because the guy who wrote the instructions speaks 3 languages English not being one of them. And while their will always be at least one missing part, there will always be a pile of nuts and bolts and washers left over.

4. The three most often overlooked words are – Batteries Not Included. Be aware
that toys that require batteries seldom if
ever come with them.

5. When you return to the store to buy the gift that your husband, wife or child showed you the previous day, it is gone and they will not be receiving any more.

6. If you hear a loud crash in the living room, it is highly probable that your Christmas tree is probably lying on its side. (We once had this happen to us three times in one season until I discovered the tree had a crooked trunk and nailed it to the floor).

7. If your toilet is ever going to break or your sink plug up it will be when at everyone is at your house celebrating.

Today:   “Pass the Gravy…or Else!”  (Who we are in November through December effects people’s lives forever.)

Colossians 3:12-14.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved…

-        Because we are God’s children (Christians) we live by a different set of rules. 

Because we are Christians, we should…

1. Grin and Bear It

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other

Lets talk about this idea of bearing with one another

What does this tell us?

As long as you are going to be around people there are going to be things about people that will bug you. 

o       All of us will, at some time, see each other as less than ideal.

o       The way we talk, the way we think, the way we look, the way we eat, the way we raise our kids, the way we take care of our house, the way we handle our finances, the way we manage our time.

o       Pick out anybody in this room and find something about them that you find offensive, irritating, or disagreeable.  Look hard enough and its there

-        Because there are things that will bug you about others, you will have to choose how you will respond to those people.

So what do we do? How should we respond to things that bug us?

We should choose to overlook each others’ differences

We don’t make a big deal of it. (Uncle Buck)

Instead, we tolerate one another in spite of all the things we find less than ideal.

If that causes us tension, then we live with it. We accept that tension, that discomfort, as our problem, rather than theirs

Bearing=Metriopatheo: “to treat with mildness, or moderation, to bear gently with”

A combination of two words:

metrios , “moderate,”

and

pascho , “to suffer”

The idea is that of not being unduly disturbed by the faults and ignorance of others^[1]

Not allowing yourself to express the full feeling that may be normally associated with a particular experience.  To grin and bear it (to bite down and tolerate)

What happens when we can’t control ourselves and bear with each other?

EXAMPLE WITH TOOTHPASTE…now put it back in.

Once you say it its out and it can’t be put back!

Proverbs 10:19. When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 12:18. Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 15:1. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:24. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 17:27
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

2. Get over it

To help explain this point, let’s watch a short video.

Back to Colossians 3

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are allowed to have an unforgiving heart.

Unforgiveness effects every aspect of life.

When we don’t forgive others, unforgiveness has a way of destroying our lives… messing up the holidays.

NOTE: WE CAN EASILY SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE REALLY FORGIVEN SOMEONE IN OUR HEART WHEN WE SPEND ONE ON ONE TIME WITH THAT PERSON.  How do you feel when you get alone with that person who hyrt you?  Are you able to be alone with that person?

Ephesians 4:32.  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Even as:  1a just as, even as. 1b in proportion as, in the degree that.^[2]

We  must forgive as Christ forgave.

Christ’s forgiveness is immediate, eternal, free, and unlimited  

Immediate: Romans 5:8.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Before we were born He died for all the sins we were ever going to commit.

God does not make us wait.  It is already done!

As soon as someone hurts you, stop what you are doing and forgive them.

If you know someone is going to hurt you, try forgiving them knowing what is about to happen.

eternal.  Once it is done, it can’t come back to haunt you.

Psalm 103:12.  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Hebrews 8:12. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

We don’t have the right to hold any wrong against anyone else. 

I don’t care what the world has to tell you.  God’s ways are not the world’s ways.

Free.  It is a gift you give to another.

Ephesians 2:8.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Saved us from our sins by forgiving us of our sins… our wrongs against him.  Jesus was ultimately wronged by us.  He took the penalty for something He did not do.

unlimited.

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times

Again and again and again and again.

3. Get out the Mop

What to do when you have spilled the gravy (messed up your testimony)

Matthew 5:23-24.

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Don’t ignore it.  Deal with it. 

Do what you have to do to reconcile yourself with that person.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

We must be reconciled with each other so we can ultimately reconcile others to Jesus.