I. Introduction
A. Christmas Classics Finale
1. As we finish our Christmas Classics series, we can’t leave out a story that has helped shape modern-day celebrations of Christmas in America.
2. Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, is a spooky tale of the true cost of worldliness.
B. Movie Synopsis
1. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is more than a holiday story; it is a parable about the grip of worldliness and the power of transformation.
2. Ebenezer Scrooge enters the tale as a man consumed by what John calls “the things of the world”—but he ends up discovering the joy of loving what God loves.
3. Just as Scrooge is confronted by three ghostly visitors, God confronts us through His Word:
4. “Do not love the world or the things in the world… but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
5. Today, we’ll explore how Scrooge’s journey mirrors the spiritual struggle in our own hearts.
II. The “Ghosts” of a Transformed Life
A. Ghosts of the
1. Our past choices shape our present , but they do not have to dictate our future .
a. If we have been taught that the things of the world are more important than anything else, we will set those things above all.
b. Sometimes the lack of the things mentioned by John are what drive us into greed, pride, etc.
2. John writes these words because he knows that our pasts can haunt us.
3. Movie Moment: Ebeneezer’s past is a complicated one. At some point, he chooses the things of the world as his pursuit. When Jacob Marley shows up, he has chains all around him. The chains are his sins against mankind. He warns Ebenezer that he is building a chain as well, and that his will be even longer than Jacob’s.
4. Our past can only haunt us when we choose not to from it.
a. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
b. There is no past that God cannot overcome.
5. What we do with the ghosts of our past often determines how we live in the present.
B. Ghosts of the
1. Choosing to love the world haunts us with expectations and lives.
2. Even before AI became a thing, many of us struggled with examining our lives in light of what the world said was best.
3. Just like Eve in the garden, we measure life in terms of:
a. What makes me good (desire of the flesh).
b. What looks to me (desires of the eyes).
c. What makes me good (pride of life).
4. These are hollow ways to live life.
a. We see this in Ebenezer’s life, represented by his living conditions versus his wealth. He is rich, but poor.
b. Jesus warns us in Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The parable of the rich fool follows this statement.
5. Movie Moment: Ebenezer is shown his nephew’s party and sees how much he is missing out on, but he is also introduced to the plight of Bob Crachitt’s family, especially Tiny Tim. He slowly begins to see the joy and meaning that are missing from his life. He sees joy among a family that has very little, in his opinion, to be joyful about.
6. From Ebenezer’s character, we learn that things like lust, greed, and pride all have their origin in selfishness.
7. John reminds us that the things of this world that we think we find our meaning, security, and strength in are (v 17). If we focus on them, we will always find disappointment. We will also miss our call to shape the world around us for Christ.
C. Ghosts of the
1. God’s message to us is not one of death, it is one of !
2. In contrast to the things of the world passing away, John tells us that the person who does the will of the Father abides forever. (v 17)
3. Movie Moment: Ebeneezer is visited by a ghost that depicts a dismal demise not only for Ebenezer but also for Tiny Tim. He asks a question of the spirit, “Are these the shadows of things that must be, or are they the shadows of things that might be?” John’s message is an encouragement and an exhortation. He tells us to avoid loving the things of this world. He reminds us to love the things that God loves. In that way, He provides us the opportunity that we see for Ebenezer—a second chance. Scrooge’s repentance mirrors John’s call to pursue “the will of God.” His heart shifts from hoarding to helping, from bitterness to blessing, from isolation to involvement. He learns to love more like God and, through that, experiences the blessing of .
4. Living a life that follows God’s will leads to life.
III. Conclusion
A. Theme
1. All three of the movies we’ve looked at have some aspect of transformation at the heart of their storyline.
a. George Bailey- transforming his perspective on his own value
b. Grinch- transforming a heart that had been hardened by a difficult past
c. Ebeneezer Scrooge- transformation to see what is most important in life
2. Are we living for what lasts or clinging to that which is passing away?
3. May we, like Scrooge, awaken to the reality of God’s love, loosen our grip on the world, and embrace a life that reflects Christ, one that is full of compassion, generosity, and eternal purpose.
B. Invitation
1. This is the time of year that many of us are thinking of Jesus.
2. Matthew 1:21 the angel tells Joseph something amazing about the child who is about the child his future wife is carrying, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
3. Jesus’ name means, “God is salvation.”
4. Today, is He your salvation?