Away in a Manger

---

Little

Jesus

I. Recognize the

of Jesus

Luke 2:8-11 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (NLT)

Jesus is not just Lord in

; He desires to be the ruler of our hearts.

Luke 1:35,38 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God…Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (NLT)

When we become followers of Jesus, we are called to

control.

II. Avoid the trap of

surrender.

We don’t outright

Jesus; we just give Him what’s left over.

Luke 6:46-49 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (NLT)

Am I building my life on the

or the

Reveal Answer

?

III. Live a

surrendered life.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (NLT)

This Christmas, don’t leave Jesus in the

, acknowledge Him

Reveal Answer

.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (NLT)

Jesus is either Lord of

or not Lord at

Reveal Answer

in your life!