Obeying Santa

Bulletin

Dan Peters
01/08/23 - Priorities

Santa is now coming through the front door of the church building and he locks it! Plus, why is Santa in the church building? “Though a clear majority will meet in some form on Christmas Day, fewer will do so than in 2016, when 89 percent of Protestant pastors said they were holding services, according to a survey by Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. This year, that number dropped to 84 percent.” (nytimes.com Dec. 18, 2022). So even a liberal newspaper like the nytimes is willing to spank the churches! Will they feel the sting? Will they not see they have replaced Jesus with Santa on Dec.25th?
Has Santa entered your church building? Has he handed out presents to the children? Did your pastor close the doors on Christmas day because it fell on a Sunday in 2022? Santa is growing stronger and stronger in church while Christ is growing weaker and weaker. If you don’t agree consider the following.
   God did not tell us what day Jesus was born. The Bible never tells the church to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Nor does it tell us to do so annually. Santa is never mentioned in the Bible nor is the word “Christmas”. Santa & Christmas are human traditions. Jesus said, ‘ BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
   TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’
“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:7-8).
So what commandment was “neglected” by staying home Sunday, Dec. 25th, 2022?
“On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.” (1Cor. 16:2). The “first day" = Sunday. How often? “every week” the Bible says. Also, each Sunday the church is to have the Lord’s supper “together” (1Cor. 11:17-34).
Stay home with Santa on Sunday or assemble with the church?
Christians are told to wait and eat the Lord’s Supper together, “1Cor. 11:33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” But what if the Christians never come? What if Santa has locked the doors? Is Santa Lord or is Christ? Our lips do not answer this question, our feet and hands do. Our actions speak louder than our words. So what are we telling Jesus by staying home with Santa?
Christmas is like the 4th of July, it’s a national holiday. But Sunday is sacred, being sanctified by scripture. Santa passes out presents, but Jesus hands you a cross. “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34). Have we dropped our cross for presents?                                                          Dan Peters