"An (Extra) Ordinary Christmas"
Luke 2:1-20
Big Idea: Christmas reminds us that God often uses ordinary people to reveal His extraordinary grace.

I. An Extraordinary Gift...
A) Luke's straightforward narrative regarding Jesus's birth not only roots these events in history, it also reveals God's sovereignty, grace, and mercy. In this passage we see the fulfillment of God's promises in the birth of salvation and hope for humanity
B) A newborn child in a manger is one of the enduring images of Christmas-so frail, so sweet, and so innocent. But it also communicates some important truths:
1. The depth of human need (cf. Gal. 4:1-7)
2. The depth of God's love (cf. Jn. 3:16)
3. The depth of God's character - His humility and compassion (cf. Heb. 4:14-16)
C) While we can decry the materialism and secularization of Christmas, we need not throw out the baby with the bathwater. At Christmas we too should be a compassionate, giving people because God has been so compassionate and giving to us

II. ...Given to Ordinary People
A) Christmas is indeed a most wonderful time of the year, but its beauty is not in opulence, wealth, or power; rather, it's in the simply, humble way God displayed His extraordinary love and grace to ordinary people
B) Practically speaking, the manner of Jesus's birth reminds us:
1. God works through the ordinary to do the extraordinary
2. When given to God, our "everyday" gifts can be used in powerful ways for His glory
3. Small gestures can make a big difference
C) Truth is, the Little Drummer Boy is in all of us. We all come to Jesus with nothing worthy of a King, so we simply worship Him and play our best and He smiles when we offer Him our heart