Christmas Through God's Eyes

Rejoice and work ceased and businesses closed for an entire season. And the houses were decked with laurel and evergreen, and visits and presents were exchanged between friends and between family members. And businesses gave their customers gifts, their patrons gifts. The whole season was one of rejoicing and goodwill, and all kinds of amusements were indulged in by the people. What does that sound like? Sounds like Christmas, doesn't it? Doesn't that sound like Christmas? Tis the season, and we're about ready to enter that season, aren't we? You know, what I just described was not describing Christmas at all. It was describing an ancient and week-long Roman festival, a winter solstice festival centered around December 25th by the name of Saturnalia. What I just quoted came from a book entitled, Paganism and Christian Festivals by J. M. Scheler. So here we are. We're entering that season, aren't we? You know, you hear the Christmas music at the malls, at the supermarkets, at the convenience stores. It's on the radio, and as you look around, you see a lot of different sights, as well as the sounds of Christmas. Why is it that some people keep Christmas? Why is it that some people keep Christmas? Well, you'll hear many different answers, I suppose. It's the time of goodwill towards men, and some would say, we love Jesus Christ, so we are celebrating His birthday. So some will say. Some will quote Mark 12, verse 30. They'll quote Mark 12, verse 30, and you'll recognize that. If you turn there, it's talking about the greatest commandment. It says, You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength, that this is the first commandment. And so the thought is by some of the people that we are simply showing respect and love to Jesus Christ by honoring His day. We honor our own birthdays. Why shouldn't we honor His? So the thinking goes. Some who used to be part of the congregation of the Church of God have said, Well, now we are New Covenant Christians. And as New Covenant Christians, it is proper for us to worship Jesus Christ in this way. This is how we view it, they say, that we can worship Christ any way that we choose. Some say that Christmas is a harmless holiday. But is that true? Is that true? Christmas is not something that's harmless. In fact, it actually can be very harmful because it goes against some of the clearest scriptures that we can find. Today I'd like to approach this topic from a slightly different angle than I have in the past. The title of the message today is Christmas Through God's Eyes. Christmas Through God's Eyes. Rather than looking at the subject through our own eyes, let's look at it through God's eyes. And as we begin to do so, I believe that we will find that Christmas is anything but a harmless festival. But actually it's an observance that if people don't stop observing and repent of what they're doing, they could actually be in danger of hellfire. Now that may seem like a pretty strong statement, but we do understand from Scripture in 1 John 3 and 4 that sin is the transgression of the law. He who commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And we also know from Scripture in Romans 6 and 23 that the wages of sin is death.

And I think he's talking about eternal death, because he says in the next phrase that the gift of God is everlasting life. So here it says the wages of sin is death in Romans 6 and 23. So I want to take a few moments, if you will, to show that Christmas transgresses God's laws and commandments. Let's go through some basic Scriptures and principles. What does God have to say? What does Jesus Christ have to say about worshiping Him? I would like you to turn to John 4 and verse 23.

You probably heard this too. The gripe out there is, as well, we need to put Christ back into Christmas. Let's put Christ back into Christmas. I mean, even people understand that He's being pushed out. Let's put Him back into Christmas. But let's take a look at what Jesus actually said about how He wants us to worship Him. If we're really concerned with putting Christ back into something, should we not see what Christ really wants?

Are we really honoring Christ? If we don't worship not the way that He suggests, but in the way that He commands, are we really honoring Him? Are we really honoring Him if we don't worship Him in the way that He commands? So there are some principles here that we want to go through.

John 4, verse 23. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers... Notice that implies that there can be false worshipers. When the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, because the Father is seeking such to worship Him. So this is what God wants. This is what Jesus wants. They want us to be people who only embrace truth. Only embrace truth. Brethren, is it truth to worship Jesus Christ on a day that really isn't His birthday?

You know, most biblical scholars will admit that, that that's not really His birthday. You know, if we look at all of the history, if we look at even the Scripture itself, it suggests that that is not His birthday. Every year at this time of the year, you've got all kinds of articles. Newspaper articles, magazine articles, things that you can read on the Internet that talk about the fact that December 25th is in fact not His birthday. And I think many understand that. So is it truth when we say we're going to be honoring Christ when we celebrate His birthday on December 25th?

Is it truth to worship and tell lies about Santa? To worship with lies about Santa? Is it truth to worship Christ with origins that Christ does not want attached to His name? We want to be people who worship God in spirit and in truth. Let's turn over to John 17. Now people may argue, what's truth? What's truth to you? You know, I don't need to come up with my own definition of truth. Let's go to what the Scripture itself says. Let's go to John 17, and we're going to pick it up here in verse number 17, because the Bible gives us the definition of what truth is.

John 17 and verse number 17. It says, Sanctify them. So the them is referring to God's people, those that have been set apart. Sanctify them, your people, those set apart by your truth, and your word is truth.

So if we're to worship God in spirit and in truth, we need to worship God in Jesus Christ according to what the Bible says that it is. So these are important principles. Now the Bible does tell us very succinctly, very clearly, that there is a system for worshiping Him. You know, we see Leviticus chapter 23. We see the Sabbath being mentioned. We see Passover being mentioned.

We see other annual Sabbaths and Holy Days being mentioned. We see here, in a sense, a system of worship. So God sets out, sets apart how we are to worship Him, how we're to worship the great God. We don't have to make up things for ourselves. God doesn't want us to do that.

Now again, some people will say, well, I understand what you're saying. I know that Christmas is pagan and non-Christian has points of non-Christianity to it, and it precedes the birth of Christ, but that's not how I view it. Have you heard that? Have you heard people say that to you? Yeah, I see some nodding heads going on out there. Yeah, that's not how I view it. Well, doesn't it make a difference with how you or I view things when it comes to worship? Really? Does it make a difference how you and I view things when we worship?

Let's go over to Isaiah chapter 55. Isaiah chapter 55, and we'll pick it up here in verse number 8. Isaiah chapter 55 and verse number 8. God says this, Remember, Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 12, kind of a memory scripture. You can turn there if you'd like. Proverbs chapter 14 verse 12 says that there is a way that seems right to a man, but it says at the end thereof is death.

It leads to death. And again, I think we're talking about eternal death. And so when we think about it, our way leads to death. So people can't just say, well, this is how I view it, or this is my way, or this is what I'm going to do. That's not how we should be viewing things, because that's not what the Bible says. That's not how we should see things. We should be seeing things through the eyes of God and through the eyes of Jesus Christ.

Hence the title of the message today, Christmas, through God's eyes. Let's look at Mark chapter 7. Mark chapter 7 is an important chapter here. It's an important chapter. Let's take a look at it. And we're going to cover here some eternal principles, eternal principles and scriptures here that we're going to look at. And we want to worship God in truth, that the Bible is God's Word and it's truth, and that we rely and look to the Bible only, that we must view things through God's eyes and not our own.

We touched on Leviticus 23 shows us the days that we should be keeping, and we shouldn't be thinking our own thoughts, because those things lead eventually to death. Let's look at Mark chapter 7. We'll pick it up here in verse number 6. Mark chapter 7 and verse number 6. He answered and said to them, Well, did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrite, says, it is written, this people honors me with their lips.

And so much, brethren, when it comes to worship of Christmas and observance of Christmas, it's about exterior things. This people honors me with their lips, that says, but their heart is far from me. He says, In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines, in other words, truth, teaching as doctrines, the commandments of men. Now I know as a group that we're well aware, and I know I'm preaching to the choir here, that you're well aware that there is no place in Scripture that you can find that we're supposed to be observing Christmas.

It's not there. As a matter of fact, when you look at the history of Christmas, you find that Christmas was not kept by the New Testament church. It wasn't kept by Jesus Christ. It wasn't kept by the apostles. There's nothing there.

In fact, there was nothing that was an observance of Christmas that happened. It was hundreds of years, hundreds of years after the death of Christ and the apostles, when suddenly it began to slowly show up on the scene. It's when the New Testament church became an apostate church that they began to observe Christmas. Now, what's apostate mean? That's a pretty fancy word. When the church became an apostate church. Apostasy is from the Greek word, apostasia. What does it mean? Apostasy. What does apostasia mean? It means the defiance of an established system. A defiance of an established system. A rebellion of the faith. Or a breach of the faith. It means something has started to change. It doesn't belong there. It's a rebellion. It's a defiance of what had previously been established. You know, if Christmas was such a wonderful thing, why didn't the apostles observe it? You know, why didn't Peter speak to its virtues and the other apostles? Why didn't Paul say anything about it? Why wasn't he proclaiming it? Verse number 7, And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men, for laying aside the commandment of God. Can you picture that in your mind? You're laying aside what God has specifically commanded. That's a very big thing. And I think as we go through this, we're going to begin to see that observing Christmas is laying aside several of the commandments of God. And people have to do that in order to keep Christmas. Verse number 8, For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pitchers and cups, the many other such things you do. And he said to them, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Boy, Jesus emphasizes that over and over here in verses number 8 and 9, doesn't he? He says, You lay aside the commandment of God, you reject the commandment of God, that you may hold and keep your tradition. Let's look at another verse in Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 32. Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 32. It's a point here that the commandments of God, the Ten Commandments are listed not only Exodus chapter 20, but here in this particular chapter of Deuteronomy, it's where God begins to rehearse His holy and righteous law. And this is a very important chapter in the Bible. It's important to look at the context here. In the context here, speaking of God's holy and righteous law. And let's pick it up in verse number 32 of Deuteronomy chapter 5. He says, Therefore, it's kind of a concluding based on what's gone on before, Therefore, you shall be careful. I think we understand what that means to be careful. That means there's a chance that we may not be careful. And that God's saying, I understand some things and I understand your proclivity. So I want you to be careful. He says, Be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. Now that should give us pause to consider. We don't do what we want to do. We do what God has commanded us to do. And He's given us construction. He said, You shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left. You know, I don't know how God could be more clear to us. You shall be careful to do what I command you to do. And be careful that you don't turn aside to the right or to the left. These are God's words. We're not allowed to decide for ourselves. Now I know God has given us free moral agency and we can make choice. And we can decide to worship Jesus Christ, I suppose, any way that we choose. We can do that.

You know, we've got the free moral agency. We can decide how we want to worship God. But there's only one way to worship God the right way. And God tells us what that right way is. He doesn't leave us guessing. If we want to do it the right way, we have to do it the way the Bible says. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left. Verse 33. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you. I'm your God. I'm the Lord your God. And you shall walk in all the ways that I have commanded you. Why? That you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. Brethren, we're to be people of truth, aren't we? We're to be people of truth. We're to be people who look to the truth in God's word, not relying on our own thinking, because our thoughts aren't His thoughts. And our ways aren't His ways. And we don't view it through our own eyes. We don't deviate from what the Bible has to say. In God's view, He has much to say. He's got much to say about pagan ways which are false ways of worship, and also, you know, not applying them to God, and not worshiping false gods. He's got a lot to say about how to worship Him, the true God. Let's look at Leviticus 18, verse 1. Leviticus 18, and verse 1. You know, a long time ago, God began to work with a special people. He called them out. They were the children of Israel. He was going to begin a family. He said, Israel was my son, even my firstborn. So He brought them out of the slavery of Egypt. And the people had been immersed in the culture of Egypt. They'd been immersed in the religious false gods that are there. And they saw these false gods and how they were worshipped, and they were worshipped in many attractive ways. And now they're leaving. God's taking them out of that environment. And He says here in Leviticus, chapter 18, He says, And now I'm going to take you to a promised land, but there are people there that worship false gods in false ways. And so He's warning them ahead of time. He says in Leviticus, chapter 18, verse 1, Then the Lord spoke to Moses, and He said, I want you to speak to the children of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. I am your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, you shall not do. I don't want you to do what they do. And according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am going to bring you, you shall not do. Nor shall you walk in their ordinances. Verse 4, you shall observe My judgments and My ordinances to walk in them, because I am your God. I'm the Lord your God. Verse 5, you shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live. He'll live by them, not only now, but in the future for eternity. So God's people left Egypt, and their false gods, and their false worship practices, and they haven't yet, in this context, they haven't even yet gone to the Promised Land. But the same thing is happening in those nations that are going to be dispossessed, and that's one of the reasons why they're being dispossessed, so that God's people can come in. He says, but I don't want you to look at what they did. I don't want you to do their doings.

So they begin their journey. They've left Egypt, but they haven't yet gone to the Promised Land, and now they're in the wilderness. They're kind of in between. And what happens? Remember the example of what happened when Moses went up to the mountain, and he was gone longer than they were comfortable with? And they said to Aaron, make us gods to go before us. Remember the golden calf? You know, we saw that example. We covered that in the past. But they set up an image of God that they wanted to see. They regarded it as kind of an addition, as a supplement to Jehovah. They were still feeling that this calf was Jehovah.

They even claimed they were having a feast to Jehovah, the true God. But it was the beginning of syncretism, and that's the word we talked about in the past. Remember syncretism, or what that means? It's a fancy word, but it means a mixture. Taking some things that are true— I mean, Jehovah is the true God—and mixing it with something that's false. And so you have an unnatural mixture. And so this was a synchronistic mixture attempting to merge heathen practices, pagan practices, with their worship of God and proclaiming a feast to God. Did God approve of this worship? Well, I think many of us know the answer.

One of the three thousand people died as a rebellion of defiance. It was a rebellion of a way, a system of worship. God wasn't pleased at all. And if he felt that way then, why would he feel any different today? He is a God that changes not. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Let's go over to Exodus 20, verse 3.

If God felt the same way then, why do we suppose he accepts a syncretism mixture regarding Christmas? Because it's truly a mixture between paganism and Christianity. Let's go over to Exodus 20, verse 3. Exodus 20, verse 3. What we'll see here is, while they're in the middle, that God is actually giving now some of the Ten Commandments. Moses has gone up there. He's bringing it back down. And now these are one of the Commandments. This is the first one, here in Exodus 20, verse 3. And God says this. So this is on his mind when all these things are happening. He says, you shall have no other gods before me. Now, how does Christmas break this Commandment? Because I've talked about there's clear scripture that the observance of Christmas is breaking God's Commandments and laws. How does Christmas break this Commandment? I want to read here from the Christmas Almanac here on page number 17. It says, the tradition of celebrating December 25th as Christ's birthday came to the Romans from Persia. Mithra, the Persian god of light, was born out of a rock on December the 25th. Rome is famous for its flirtations with strange gods and cults. In the third century, in 274 AD, the unchristian emperor, Aurelius, established the festival of Dvicty Solos, the day of the invincible son, on December the 25th. Mithra was the embodiment of the sun, the S-U-N. So this period of its rebirth was a major day in Mithraism, which had become Rome's latest official religion with the patronage of Aurelian. It is believed that the emperor Constantine adhered to Mithraism up to the time of his conversion to Christianity. He was probably instrumental in seeing that this major feast of the old religion was carried over to the new faith. So basically, if you want to go back and look how Christmas was kept before Christ, literally thousands of years before Christ, you see that December 25th was in honor to a pagan god. That day was in honor to a pagan god. Brethren, this breaks the commandment found in Exodus 20 and verse 3. Let's go over to Deuteronomy 12, verse 28. Deuteronomy 12 and verse 28. Let's ask a question. In God's view, is He happy for us to use pagan false god ways and customs to worship Him, the true God? In God's view, is He happy for us to use pagan false practices and ways to worship Him, the true God? Let's pick it up here. Deuteronomy 12 and verse 28.

God speaking here through Moses says, Observe and obey all of these words which I command you, that it may be well with you and your children forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. Not what's good and right in my sight or your sight or any human being's sight, but what we do what is good and right in the eyes of God. Verse 29. When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, so we've touched on this already, and you displace them and you dwell in their land, He says, take heed. He says, take heed, be careful that you are not trapped, you're not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? I am going to do likewise. Brethren, that's exactly what takes place in Christmas. How did these other nations serve their gods? Christmas is nothing more than how other peoples at other times in history have worshiped false gods. In modern times, I think we've only dressed it up. But all of this goes back to pre-Christ, pre-non-Christian origins in history. Verse number 31, you shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, because every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods, for they burn even their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Notice verse number 32. Whatever I command you, you be careful to observe it. You shall not add to it nor take away from it. Don't add. Don't take away. Don't turn to the left. Don't turn to the right. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it. So that's God's teaching. That's the truth. Of course, we can understand that the God who was relaying all this information through Moses was Jesus Christ. He's the one that spoke to Moses. God the Father was utilizing Jesus Christ here to speak all of these commands. So Jesus Christ is saying, if you worship me on December 25th, if you keep Christmas, you're having another God before me. And that's the sin. God goes so far to call it an abomination here in verse number 31. That's how He sees it. Let's go to Exodus chapter 20 in verse number 4. Exodus chapter 20 in verse 4. Again, this is another command. One of the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses on that mountain when they were still between leaving one culture and going to another. God was trying to reach out to them to help them to understand the truth. Let's look at this command here in Exodus chapter 20 in verse number 4.

For then, how does Christmas break this command? Again, from the Christian Almanac. The Romans combined the worship of this deity of Mithra with a midwinter celebration of the god Saturn, also known as Saturnalia. That's what we talked about in the opening comments that I made to you of the sermon here today. They combined it with a midwinter celebration of the god Saturn, known as Saturnalia, which began a few days before December 25th. And the festival was characterized by gift-giving. Now, again, all of this is happening before the time of Jesus Christ walking the earth. It was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, and singing, as well as downright debauchery. And the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen bows and processions throughout the Roman Empire. Other historians placed the worship of these trees thousands of years ago in ancient Babylon and Egypt, as well as elsewhere. Brother the Bible even mentions the use of green trees as pagan symbols of ancient worship and forbids their worship in the worship of God. You know, we see, and I know all of you can't see this Christmas tree over here, but it makes a pretty major impact here, isn't it? That's an idol that we're looking at. I know some of you on this side can't see that, and some of you over here can. Let's take a look here at a couple of scriptures, I think, that bear this out. The trees are not to be utilized in the worship of God. Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse number 21. Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse number 21. It says, You shall not plant for yourself any tree as a wooden image near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God. Don't use trees in any sort of worship of the great God. Why? Because in history and antiquity, trees were used to worship other gods. They were used to worship false gods.

Let's go over to Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse 13. I know I'm moving along here pretty fast. Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse number 13.

Don't use trees in the sort of worship of the great God in any sort. Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse 13. Only acknowledge your iniquity. I'm sure I've got the right scripture here. Only acknowledge your iniquity that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and you've scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree. And you have not obeyed my voice, says the Lord. Let's jump a few chapters here to Jeremiah chapter 17. And let's notice what God says about the sins of His people Judah here. Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse number 1. It says, The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron. With the point of a diamond, it is engraved on the tablet of their heart and on the horns of your altars. In other words, the people are sinning big time here. It goes deep. Notice it says, written with a pen of iron. With the point of a diamond, it's engraved on the tablet of their heart. It goes deep. Notice verse number 2. While their children remember their altars and their wooden images by the green trees on the high hills. You know, if you do a little research here, you'll find these images are speaking about the goddess Astarte. And she was worshiped at times with a figurine or a statue, but she was also worshiped with evergreen trees. So when God says, Don't use trees, there's a reason why He says what He says.

And so we have idolatry in a sense that people use Christmas trees in the worship of God. And God says, Don't use those trees.

So it is idolatrous.

For a moment, let's take a little trip down history lane, just here for a moment.

And look at a few things that you can find on the internet or in articles, newspapers, magazines.

Here's one from the Catholic Encyclopedia under the heading of Natal Day. It quotes origin, who was an early Catholic theologian. He admits that Christmas is not biblical. Let's take a look at what he says. He says, In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born. Christmas was not among the early festivals of the church. The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt. Pagan customs centered around the January Calens gravitated to Christmas. You know, this was from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

So, even the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia admits that Christmas was not among the early festivals of the church and that pagan customs centered around the January Calens gravitated to Christmas.

This one is from Encyclopedia Encarta, MSN Encyclopedia Encarta. It talks about the origins of Christmas. It says, I'm sure exactly when Christians first began celebrating the Nativity of Christ.

However, most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice. And that's an amazing statement, isn't it?

Right there. Most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century, so we're talking about 300 years after Christ, as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice. Before the introduction of Christmas each year, beginning on December 17th, Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, in a festival called Saturnalia. This festival lasted for seven days and included the Winter Solstice, which usually occurred around December 25th on the ancient Julian calendar. During Saturnalia, the Romans feasted. They postponed all business warfare, exchanged gifts, temporarily freed their slaves. And many Romans, it says, celebrated the lengthening of daylight following the Winter Solstice by participating in rituals to glorify Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light. Although the Gospels, and I'm still quoting, describe Jesus' birth in detail, they never mentioned the Tate.

I would suggest this because God did not want us to observe it.

They never mentioned the date that he was born. The Roman Catholic Church chose December 25th as the day of the Feast of the Nativity in order to give Christian meaning to existing pagan rituals. For example, the Church replaced festivities honoring the birth of Mithra, the god of light, with festivities to commemorate the birth of Jesus, whom the Bible calls the light of the world. The Catholic Church hoped to draw pagans into its religion by allowing them to continue their revelry while simultaneously honoring the birth of Christ. It's kind of clever, isn't it? It's kind of clever. Well, you know, these people really like this. You know, there are other articles that talk about Constantine at the time that Christmas eventually officially came on the scene, that he was trying to get them to stop and they wouldn't do it. And so there was a compromise. There was a compromise. Here's another article. Protestant Christians admit that Christmas is not one of God's festivals in the Bible. This comes from the Protestant Encyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.

It says, The observance of Christmas is not a divine appointment. Wow! Okay, right out of the chute. The observance of Christmas is not a divine appointment, nor is it of New Testament origin. The fathers of the first three centuries do not speak of any special observance of the Nativity." Unquote. So when did Christmas become syncretized into worldly Christianity?

Let me quote here. This is from Four Thousand Years of Christmas by Earl Wendell Count.

Christmas was first proclaimed and kept as Christian, first by Pope Liberius in 354 A.D.

You know, that's a long time after Christ and the apostles have lived and died, isn't it? I mean, our country is a little over 200 years. It was over 350 years. Christmas was not officially observed until Pope Liberius in 354 A.D. under the reign of Emperor Constantine. And it says, Emperor Constantine has been so-called converted to Christianity at this time. At first he ordered that the old Roman pagan Saturnalia not be observed, but the people refused. They refused, and they kept on with their pagan customs of drunkenness, feasting, and illicit sex on December 25th. Greeting cards were traded. Gifts were exchanged, feasting, celebrating. He actually began on the eve before. Emperor Constantine's advice to the church leader was, meet the evening meet them halfway, so they began to see the next 30 days.

Meet them halfway. So the false belief that Christ was born on December 25th was syncretized and mixed in with this pagan winter solstice festival. This is from Taylor's Diagesus, page 237. It says, the church found it necessary in the conversion of the gentiles to dissemble and wink at many things and yield to the times. We're just going to look the other way.

We're going to wink and yield to the times. This is from the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. It says, and I quote, there can be little doubt that the church was anxious to distract the attention of the Christians from the old heathen feast days by celebrating Christian festivals on the same day. Does it make any difference if we keep God's holy days listed in Leviticus, chapter 23, or Christmas, or other pagan days? To use pagan practices to worship makes no difference if there is no God. It makes no difference how we worship with pagan days if there is no God. But if there is a true God, then it makes a big difference because God has the right to tell us how to worship Him. He is after all God. He did make us. We are His sons, we are His daughters. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what's good. He knows what's not good. And because He loves us, He says, don't deviate. Don't go to the left. Don't go to the right. But be careful. Be careful because I want it to be well for you and I want you to live.

God has the right to tell us how to worship Him. In God's eyes and in His view, it is not for you and I, it's not for mankind to say, this is how I view it. This is what I see through my eyes.

Some today believe, erroneously, that even though a writer custom was originally paganistic, is if we apply it to Jesus Christ, then it is acceptable to God, even if it has no scriptural foundation or basis. But you know what? That's human reasoning, isn't it? That's human reasoning, and it's completely contrary to the written Word of God and His commands and His laws and His clear instruction. Let's go over to another one of the commandments here in Exodus 20, back to Exodus chapter 20. Take a look at this command. How does Christmas observance break this command? Exodus 20, verse 7.

Again, God's people are between coming out of a culture, false worship, going into a culture where there has been false worship, and God is giving His commands. Exodus 20, verse 7, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold Him guiltless, who takes His name in vain. Brethren, a name means a lot, doesn't it? Hallowed be His name. We talk about that in the model prayer. A name means a lot. In that respect, people want to protect their name. Respect is to be given to a name, and that's certainly true of the name of God.

The quality of our relationship with God depends on how we view that name, because God's name stands for something. It stands for who He is and what He is. And that being the case, if we use God's name in a flippant or demeaning way or an improper way, then we're breaking this commandment.

How is associating Christ's name with a sinful pagan festival proper? How is that honorable?

Chris, Christ, Mass. You know, it shouldn't be. We're breaking this commandment by even putting Christ's name in association with the holiday. We're breaking that commandment by associating as Christians. We name the name of Jesus Christ, don't we? We're His. We're Christ. We are His disciples. We're Christians. When Christians keep Christmas, we're breaking this commandment because they are dishonoring the name of Christ. They are not adding honor to His name. They are dishonoring His name. You know, a while back, we were, I think, doing a stab at school about this time of the year with the teens. And Jelena and I asked them, you know, we'd like you to write down everything that comes to mind. Some of you may have been in this room may remember this. We want you to write down everything that comes to mind when it comes to Christmas. You know, let's just make a list. We had a whiteboard and let's just make a list. So there are about 40 items that the teens at that time talked about. The signs of the Christmas season. Here's some of the things that they said.

You probably can identify with some of this. Christmas tree, evergreen, holly, lights, wreath, the poinsettia flower, Saint Nick, Santa Claus, Santa's sleigh, reindeer, elves, Santa's helpers, stockings, drinking, the Yule log, the little drummer boy, nutcracker sweet, frosty the snowman, the North Pole, mistletoe. You know, brethren, how many items of this 40, you know how many items had to do with Jesus Christ?

Two. Two. They said Jesus Christ, the birth of the baby Jesus, Jesus Christ, comes to mind as the signs of the Christmas season, and Mary and Joseph. And so there are two things out of 40.

You know, in a way, we talk about Christians trying to Christianize the pagans, but in reality, what we ended up having was the pagans were paganizing the Christians. Right? And God knows that already from the end from the beginning. That's why he says, Be careful. Don't mix these two. They don't fit. They won't work. There won't be good fruit. And you know, as we see this now, how many hundreds of years later from 400 A.D. until today's time, that cycle is only getting worse.

You'll see Hallmark Christmas specials where God hasn't even mentioned, but it's a Christmas movie. Or Christ isn't even mentioned. You know, those kind of things continue to play out in that sense. Brethren, again, we are Christ. We are His disciples. We're His. We're Christians. And we're not adding honor to His name by associating His name with these false practices.

We're not. We're breaking that commandment. We're taking God's name in vain.

Let's go over to 2 Timothy 2, verse 19. 2 Timothy 2 and verse number 19.

It says, Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, and we can be thankful for that.

Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal that the Lord knows those who are His, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

We name the name of Christ. We call ourselves Christians. We are to walk away from sin. We're to walk away from breaking this commandment. Christmas is sin, and as Christians, we need to walk away from Christmas. As difficult as that sometimes may be, because I know some of us have had backgrounds where we celebrate it. We remember this music, and we remember the good warm feelings, and that type of thing. We have some of those thoughts. The God says, Be careful. Those things are wrong. It's a mixture. Don't add to what I say. You know, well, before I get to the conclusion, then I can make a point here where the world, in a sense, seems to love Christmas, generally speaking, and doesn't matter whether they're Christians, whether they're non-Christians. There's a lot of people that observe Christmas that are atheists. You know, it's something that they observe.

You know, I'll just refer to James 4, verse 4, but it says, Don't you know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. You know, the world tends to love Christmas, and 1 John 2, verse 15 says, Don't love the world. Neither the things that are in the world.

You know, in a sense, we have to maybe ask our question, who leads whom? You know, is not the church of God and of our Savior Jesus Christ supposed to be an example to the world?

Is not the church to be the salt to the nations and the light to the nations?

Is it proper for the church to follow a pagan world system of worship?

Christmas didn't originate in the Bible. It wasn't in the early church for hundreds of years, and it is pagan. It's pagan. The pre-States Christ. You know, the day, the tree, the exchanging of gifts, the mistletoe, the holly berries, they all originated in idolatrous pagan festivities surrounding the winter solstice. You know, sometimes I ask the question, I don't know if you've ever thought about this. I just did recently. If Christmas was in the Bible, do you think the world would love it? Do you think they'd observe it?

If God commanded it, I'd suggest they wouldn't.

God says, don't add, so we've added Christmas. The world has added Christmas.

He says, don't take away, and we've taken away the system of worship found in Leviticus chapter 23.

So, do you think that a Christmas was a commandment in the scriptures? Do you think that people would be loving it and observing it? I would suggest that they wouldn't.

Let's wrap things up here and conclude in Mark chapter 7, verse 7. Mark chapter 7 and verse 7.

In vain they worship me, and they are teaching, as truths or doctrines, commandments of men, because they have laid aside the commandment of God, and they are holding on to the tradition of men. Further, I'd suggest this is still the unchanging message of God today. That Christ was never in Christmas, that it is a counterfeit. It's not harmless, but on the contrary, it's dangerous and it's harmful. Worship and serving our God and our Lord Jesus Christ, God says, worship me and worship me alone. I'm not with a mixture, not with a syncretism and a mixture of false ways and my ways, God says, but do it my way. God has commanded not to add and not to take away. The world has added Christmas, and the world has taken away the festivals of God found in Leviticus chapter 23. That's how God used Christmas through his nights.