Sunday 26 August 2007

Children of Celebration!

Today I was preaching and I thought that this might also be a word for anyone else. So here is what I said:


Celebrate means:
To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.
To perform (a religious ceremony): celebrate a wedding.
To extol or praise: a sonnet that celebrates love.
To make widely known. E.g. celebrate or tell of others achievements… exam results!


As Christians we should seek to extol and praise God and to make Him widely know by our celebrating.
How we can celebrate: parties,dancing, clapping, cheering etc..

Different reasons why we celebrate, Christmas, birthdays etc...
Who we should celebrate: firstly God. Secondly people and ourselves.


How we can celebrate ourselves and others and why we should:
God celebrates us- He cannot help but celebrate us, He cannot help but love us, He cannot help but pour out His blessings out on us…

When we celebrate God and others we should seek to be like Him and not be able to not celebrate!


We are called to build people up, encourage people and not to bring them down. We so can so easily get trapped by moaning and complaining about ourselves and others, but we are called to be different from the world and celebrate people no matter what has happened or they have done or you have done. Seek to be like Jesus!


Party People
Children know how to party!
Come to God like children… Matt 18:1-4. We’re too be childlike come like children, not childish- when we bring others down, argue, call each others name etc… we’re being childish, not childlike.
Children are trusting, loving and can so easily celebrate each other.
We are children of God. We should be like children, His children.
Children are dependent upon their parents or the person caring for them etc… Are we dependant on God? Because the bible says without Him we can do nothing. John 15.


Earthly Celebration
Jesus was always going to parties, His first miracle was at a party so people could keep celebrating
Most parables end with some kind of celebration, because God demands we celebrate what He has done and just because God is God! In old testament demanded Israel to celebrate Passover. And now He demands we celebrate Jesus in the same way.


We must celebrate each other, but we must not be mistaken by celebrating people and making them idles, but celebrate by encouraging them, loving them building them up.
Ultimately we are called to celebrate God, just because all our praise belongs to Him, because God is God! ‘Ultimate celebration always belongs to God!’


Heavenly Celebration




that’s what heavens going to be like. Its going to be a constant party.
So if we don’t get used to celebrating now, we’re not going to like heaven!
Revelations tells us how we’re going to party in heaven.

Rev 5:13 that party never stops. We can’t even begin to imagine eternity but that is what we will be doing. Its never-ending. I find that amazing!

If you feel that you’re someone who is trapped by moaning and needs to allow God to free you from that cage. Come to Him now!
If you just want to celebrate God just because God is God, then come and sit, stand kneel before Him.
If you need to be free to celebrate others, come. If you need forgiveness from bringing others or yourself down and that sin holds you back from being a child of celebration come!
If you just need to come, come. Don’t worry about anyone else or anything else. Just come before His cross!

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