Sermons
“Why The Grinch Stole Christmas”
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Scripture reading will be from Ephesians chapter 4.
I'll be reading from the New King James version.
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Well, as always, it's a privilege to be able to stand before you and I pray that our time together tonight can be beneficial as we open and study God's word together.
My computer always seems slower when I'm up here.
So let me see if I can get it up and get it going for us.
And let's get the mic turned on.
I guess you can hear me now.
If you've read the book or maybe seen the short movie featuring this guy, Well then you know as the title indicates how the Grinch Stole Christmas.
But if you've seen this guy, And you've seen the longer movie, then you know a little bit more.
Not only do you know as this is also titled How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you also know something else.
You know why.
The Grinch stole Christmas.
The first one tells you he's a mean one.
And also use a vial one.
That's the end of my da Trux impression tonight.
But it doesn't really tell you why he's mean and vile.
It also tells you that his heart is too size is too small, but it doesn't really tell you what led to his heart problems.
It's when you go to the other movie.
That some of the details are filled in and we learn a little bit more.
And I know dealing with, uh we're dealing with a fictional character tonight, but I believe there's some real world issues that are dealt with, and I pray that by looking at those, they can help us in our daily lives to be more like Christ would have us to be, and as we've even sung this evening, to be more like Christ.
Well I wanna look at an issue kind of a smaller issue, first of all, and that is why he hated Christmas.
If you just look at the first book in the first movie, uh, it tells you the Grinch hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season.
Now please don't ask why.
No one quite knows the reason.
Well, again, the second movie tells us a little bit more about the reason.
In fact, it goes back to his childhood.
And by looking at his childhood and how he was dealt with then, we get a little more insight into how he ended up the way that he was, especially how or why he hated Christmas.
Uh, one of the reasons that he hated Christmas was because of jealousy.
Now, it wasn't his own jealousy, it was the jealousy of someone else.
I'm gonna assume that some of you have some familiarities.
I'm not going to fill in all the details.
If you haven't seen it, maybe it won't totally ruin the movie and you can go back and fill in the details by watching it.
But at a young age before he became mayor, the child who was going to grow up to be mayor had a problem with jealousy.
He was jealous because his girlfriend Martha, liked the Grinch.
And that just wasn't going to work.
And as we consider the jealousy that he had, we just pause here for a moment and be reminded of the fact that jealousy is not good for us to have in our lives.
Several passages talk about this.
We look in 1 Corinthians 93, jealousy indicates a fleshly mindset or carnal mindset as we mentioned and described it this morning in our class on prayer.
And we look at Galatians chapter 5 and we think about the works of the flesh, and there again, we're warned against jealousy as part of those works of the flesh.
And in James, James chapter 3, it's associated with selfish ambition and also notice leading to every evil thing.
And I believe this is one of those occasions that we see jealousy lead to evil things.
Because not only was jealousy a problem here that led to him hating Christmas, it's what that jealousy led to, at least in part.
Cause not only do we see jealousy playing a part, but we also see cruelty and ridicule playing a part in him hating Christmas.
As a kid, the mayor made fun of the Grinch because she was 8 years old and had a beard.
I don't know too many eight year olds with a beard.
We probably don't, but we don't have to treat them like the mayor did.
Today, we'd probably call it bullying, the way the Grinch was treated by the mayor and some of the others.
And the Grinch really got into the Christmas spirit one year to make Martha a gift.
The teacher told everybody to look their best, so he decided maybe it was time to shave.
But that didn't go so well.
So he shows up with his gift.
And also his lack of a great shaving job.
And the mayor went to work on him.
Yelling to everybody, look at that hack job.
When he took the bag off his face and they could see the terrible job he had done shaving.
And is after the way he was treated that the Grinch said, I hate Christmas.
I hate it.
And Martha being interviewed years later, said about the event there.
It was a horrible day when they were so cruel to him.
And you know it's always a horrible day when we're cruel to other people and we say hurtful things to them.
Ephesians chapter 4, part of our reading tonight.
Says let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God and Christ forgave you.
Paul doesn't just tell us this in Ephesians and also other books, even Peter tells us the same admonition, essentially, if you look in 1 Peter chapter 3, Peter said, finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another.
Love his brothers, be tenderhearted.
Be courteous.
And Jesus in the sermon on the Mount gave us a great principle that applies to this in so many other areas when he gave us what we sometimes call the golden rule there in Matthew 7:12.
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.
For this is the law and the prophets.
Kermit the frog said it's not easy being green.
But try to imagine being green.
8 years old with a beard.
And not having a dad to show you how to save properly.
How would you want others to treat you if you were in that situation?
And just take that and apply it to the situation of so many people in our lives, so many people we may know who are a little different in one way or the other.
Before we're quick to join in the ridicule, stop and think.
What if we were the ones who are different?
How would we want others to treat us?
Every day we have situations to apply this golden rule.
By trying to put ourselves in somebody else's shoes instead of joining in the ridicule and the, and the, the, the um lack of compassion that we show toward them.
Stop and think.
What if we were them?
How would we want others to respond to us?
And we cut Martha some slack because she was a kid at the time this happened.
But what about when we face situations where we see others, maybe belittling others or making fun of them.
Do we just sit back quietly?
Or do we come to their defense?
What would we want others to do?
Wouldn't it be nice sometimes, maybe when we're the ones that the, the run into the jokes to have somebody else to just take a stand and help us out a little.
How many people do we know are just having a bad day because they're green?
That we could step in and help them out a little bit.
A few quotes I want us to consider.
Well, no one could justify why the Greeks became what he did.
Maybe if we just take the time to try to understand and extend a little grace toward him.
Can we do that?
And again, not only with him but applying that to others in our lives.
How many of you, I'm not asking for names, but maybe know somebody who's a little grinchy.
Somebody who's a little different from others, maybe somebody who has issues in their lives, things that we just don't understand.
How do we respond to them?
The Grinch said to his dog.
Fetch me my sedative.
Now to take care of those pesky memories.
And how many people today turn to drugs to help deal with those pesky memories?
People often turn To appeal or to a bottle.
Or to a his Or some type of drug and some type of some way of administering it.
Whether it be a head, a pill or a smoke.
And we may look at them and Not agree with what they're doing.
But again, do we ever try to put ourselves in their shoes and try to figure out what led them to that point?
Why are they engaging in that behavior?
And maybe you've seen people like me, you say I just don't understand how they could let the bottle control their life like they do.
I've known Christians that I've wondered that about.
I've known deacons that I've wondered that about.
And probably all of you have had similar situations.
So what we need to remember is we're right when we say that we can't understand.
If we haven't been there and we don't have their chemical disposition, we don't know what it's like to face the issues that they have.
Maybe they've turned to the wrong solution.
But can we extend some grace to them and trying to help them overcome it?
When we see people who are turning to a sedative or something else to deal with those pesky memories, what can we do to be a better solution to them?
How do we talk to people like that?
We just point out you shouldn't be doing that.
You need to quit.
In Passians 23:5, Paul said, walking wisdom toward those who are outside.
He said, let your speech always be with grace.
Seasoned with salt.
The Grinch also said why for 53 years, I've put up with it now.
For 53 years, he put up with what?
A few harsh words when he was 25 years old.
Cause that's what Martha tells us that, that on that occasion when he was 218 years old, and he said he hated Christmas and he left, she said they never saw him again.
For almost 218 years.
He's been harmed and hurt by those words that were said to him.
Do we stop and think about the power of our words?
And again, I know this is a fictional character.
But how many of you maybe can remember some hurtful things that people have said years ago to you?
Or maybe you know people are dealing with issues now because something that was said or done to them tens of years ago.
When you stop and think about the power of our words.
And how we can harm somebody for life.
With the hurtful things that we may say, But then on the other side of that, What about positive things that can be said?
Have you ever had something positive that was said, that has stayed with you for years?
Maybe you're going through a difficult time and somebody gave you the encouragement you needed?
See, words can work both ways.
They can tear somebody down and do permanent harm or they can do permanent good.
The things that we say we'll stick with people.
Again, as we consider A few quotes.
This is when Cindy Lu who came to him.
And he said, I don't know if it's that adorable twinkle in your eye.
Or that nonconformist streak that reminds me of a younger, less hairy me.
But you've convinced me.
Who knows?
This hubilation could change my entire outlook on life.
Now think about what Cindy had to overcome, and we'll touch on that a little bit more in a moment.
To get up the courage even to go and invite him.
Besides the courage of nominating for this award.
And yet he realizes this, this invitation from this little girl could possibly change his life.
How many people do we see every day that maybe an invitation from us could change your life?
He's talking about going to a hubelation, changing his life.
What if we invited people to worship?
How could that change their lives?
Somebody who doesn't know Jesus and we bring them into contact with Jesus, that's really changing their lives.
All because she got up the courage to go and invite him.
Do we get up encouraged to invite people and maybe make the difference in their lives?
As we think about the power of our tongue and the good that it can do or the harm that it can do, maybe we're reminded of James in James chapter 21 where he talks about the power that's in the tongue.
And he also talks about how at the same tongue we bless and curse and that it shouldn't be that way.
But we know it can There's a wise man, Solomon said in Proverbs chapter 21 and verse 29, Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Think about that the next time you go to open your mouth to say something to someone else.
Maybe someone who's a little different, a little greasy, going through some issues in their life.
Do you want to bring life or death?
That power is in your words.
What you say may stay with him for the next 33 years or longer.
You could lead them to a sedative or you could lead him to the Lord.
Which do you want to do?
Go back to the idea of why.
Why did the Grinch steal Christmas?
Well, one issue I believe was the prejudice that he constantly had to deal with.
The way that others thought about him.
There's a boy uh saying to a girl about the Grinch.
They say he lives up here in a big cave and only comes down when he's hungry for the taste of hoo flesh.
Well, I would ask, who said this?
And why?
Has there been a confirmed account of him coming down and, and devouring somebody?
Not that I'm aware of.
But you see these kind of things get started and said about him, and pretty soon that's what everybody believes, whether it's true or not.
Just like we can have preconceived ideas about people.
Maybe based on their color, their nationality, their gender, all kinds of issues, and we just jump to conclusions about people.
And maybe they're no more true about us than they were about the Greens.
Yeah, if we're not careful, we can let prejudice.
Innuendo our lives.
But fortunately, when it comes to the Grinch, as we've already mentioned.
There was a Cindy Luho to the story, and sometimes I think maybe we need a whole sermon about how we need to be more like Cindy Lu who.
But, but she, she said.
And, and this was one account when, uh, in the movie, if you remember the Grinch had an opportunity to save her.
His dog talked, talked him into it with a little persuasion, and so he saved her from a machine there at the post office.
And so this is Cindy Lou who going through really a struggle within herself.
Sweet Cindy Lou or sweet Cindy didn't know what to do and her head bum tumbled a conflict or two.
If the Grinch was so bad, then why did he save me?
Maybe he wasn't so bad. Maybe.
Just maybe.
And we've already talked about how she really overcome any prejudice to take the action that she did and offer the kindness toward him, but nobody else would.
Can we overcome prejudice to extend kindness to others?
And again, maybe make the difference with them.
And 23 Timothy chapter 29 and verse 218, Paul gives this warning to Timothy.
I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elected elders that you observe these things without prejudice.
Doing nothing With partiality.
Do we do things without prejudice?
Without partiality, without judging a book by its cover, without judging somebody by the color of their skin or their ethnicity or anything else.
Maybe sometimes we need to be reminded again, going back to our, our songs to be more like Jesus and his uh children often sing and maybe we as adults need to sing more often to be reminded of red and yellow, black and white, and may we insert green even though it doesn't rhyme.
They are precious in his sight.
Jesus doesn't see color when he looks at people.
He sees souls.
I mean we have that kind of vision ourselves.
To see others who are in need of salvation and realize they're just as deserving as we are.
And extend to them the grace that God wants to extend to them.
We need to remove prejudice from our lives.
And also we see with the Grinch, one of the reasons he stole Christmas is partly because he saw how really abused it was in a sense by them.
The idea of materialism and avarice.
Uh, one scene in the movies, we see a cashier cramming money into a cash register just as fast as he can.
It's just a hustle and bustle going around.
And again, Cindy Lou who.
And her childlike innocence and wisdom.
Ask the question.
Does this seem like a bit much?
Well, your dad at the time replied, Well, this is what Christmas is all about.
And so then she said, I look around at you and mom.
And everyone getting all kurbobbled.
Doesn't this seem superfluous?
I don't have a dictionary definition for kebabble.
I'll let you define that as you will.
But I can help you with superfluous a little bit.
The word superfluous means excessive or unnecessary, exceeding what is sufficient or necessary.
And so that's what she was able to see taking place around her.
And that's part of what irritated the Grinch when he looked around him and he saw the way everybody was acting.
In fact, he goes on to say himself.
You wanna know what happens to your gifts?
They all come to me in your garbage.
The avarice never ends.
I want golf clubs.
I want diamonds.
I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored, and sell it to make glue.
Now you look at that maybe laugh a little, but What's gonna happen in a few months with our Christmas gifts?
Maybe the next morning, the boxes are sitting by the curb.
How much longer does it take for those items to be in the trash?
You know, we get so caught up in the materialistic nature of our society and especially now, you know, I want, I want this, I want that.
Yeah, what's the real value of those things?
In one sense, when I look at what the Grinch said there about what was going to happen to the gifts in the long run, I think about what Jesus warned in the sermon on the Mount Matthew 6:19.
You remember what he said on that occasion?
Don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroyed, and where thieves break in and steal.
Principles basically the same.
Those things that mean so much to us are soon gonna be gone from our life in one way or the other.
Either we'll lose interest or something will happen to it.
Yeah it's so easy, especially this time of year to get caught up in all the materialistic nature of our society.
If we're not careful, we can be like the prodigal son, at least at the beginning in Luke chapter 15.
Just like the Grinch, saw all the who's saying, I want this, I want that.
That was basically his attitude there in Luke 15:12.
Give me.
Now fortunately, we see a change come about in his life.
But it's so easy for all of us if we're not careful.
To get caught up in that.
And especially when we live in this luxury society that we do here in America.
I mean, everybody else has things.
Surely I deserve what everybody else has.
I'm trying to keep up with the Joneses.
So I deserve more.
I want more.
You remember some of the warnings of scripture.
And 1 John 93, the warning there, do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father.
But is of the world.
And I'm not saying this tonight to say you need to go home and return all your Christmas gifts.
That's not the point.
But don't get so caught up in the materialistic things.
Remember, where is our true love?
We make that wish list for Christmas, things we really want.
As long as you're a member of the unwritten things may be on that list, what we really need the most is to be right with God.
And all those other things are just blessings from Him that should be used in service to Him.
Don't let our love be shifted to the wrong thing or the wrong person.
As Paul says, again, looking 1 Timothy chapter 6 now.
So now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Before we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and clothing with these we shall be content.
And we probably will all be receiving more than just food and clothing in the coming days and weeks.
But again, what's our focus?
What's our priority?
If something happened and our house burned down and all the Christmas gifts with it, would we still be content?
As long as we still have God in their lives and the relationship with Him.
In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5, let your conduct be without covetousness.
Be content with such things as you have.
For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
When the Grinch looked around at the materialistic attitude of the who's, it just got to him.
Maybe at times we just need to take a step back and look at our lives and let it get to us and make sure we keep our priorities in the right order.
Well, skipping ahead a little bit and what actually happens in the story, I want us to think for a moment about when he returned Christmas.
Because we see he had a change of heart.
And decide to take everything back.
And so when he did, he took everything back and he goes into town and he goes up to the officer says, you got me, officer.
I did it.
I'm the Grinch who stole Christmas and I'm Sorry.
He brought everything back and said he's sorry.
So how is he going to be received when he brought everything back?
Well, it depends on who you were.
When he brought everything back.
Remember the mayor who had such a great attitude all along toward him?
Well, this is a perfect opportunity for him.
The mayor said, you heard him, officer.
He admitted it.
And we know what that means.
Arrest him, throw him into jail.
Throw away the key.
But fortunately, the officer looked at him with a little more grace than the mayor did.
He said, Yes, I heard him all right.
He said he was sorry.
What do we hear?
When people have done wrong, maybe even members of the church.
Maybe they've done some terrible things or at least things we thought we'd never do ourselves, but then they have a change of heart.
And they're sorry.
And they come forward and they repent or they come to us trying to make things right.
What is our attitude toward them?
Are we ready like the mayor just to lock them up and throw away the key?
Are willing to show the kind of grace and mercy toward them that the officer was willing to show toward the Grinch on this occasion.
We mentioned a few moments ago that prodigal son, and he had the wrong attitude at first when he says give me.
But then when he finally hit rock bottom, maybe you remember he came back to the Father and this time he said, make me.
And so what did the father do?
The father met him with open arms.
He's ready to forgive his son and restore him.
And But then brother came home.
And what would you do if your brother had gone off in this frivolous, prodigal, wasteful living.
And then returned home.
Well, if you know the story, you know the brother wasn't.
As forgiving and merciful.
As the father was.
Maybe think of other examples in scripture that helped make this point.
In Matthew chapter 18, we see the merciful master and the unmerciful servant.
I'm not gonna take the time to read the whole account there, but maybe you remember the, the one servant who owed an exorbitant amount beyond what he could ever repay, and he goes and begs for mercy from the master and the master has compassion and forgives him.
But then that exact same servant goes out and somebody who owed him just a pittance in comparison comes to him wanting mercy and grace to be shown.
But there was none to be shown.
And so I ask you, how do we treat those who are trying to turn their lives around and are sorry.
Do we have the attitude of the mayor or do we have the attitude of the officer?
My guess is we want mercy in return to us.
Do we show mercy and return to others?
Fortunately, God, It's like the officer.
He is the father.
In the prodigal son story.
He is the master.
Who was merciful in Matthew chapter 18.
And as John tells us about the Father in 1 John 1 and verse 9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And Peter also tells us along the same line, whoops, I went too far.
I guess Didn't put that on my overhead.
I meant to.
2 Peter 3 and verse 9.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some count slackness, but is long suffering, not toward us, not willing that any should perish.
But that all should come to repentance.
Our heavenly Father is waiting for us to confess our sins.
He's waiting for us to repent.
And he has open arms.
For us to return and make things right.
And before you're hesitant to show that same kind of grace and mercy toward others, may I remind you of it in Matthew chapter 18.
When that unmerciful servant wasn't willing to show it toward others.
The master held him accountable.
And that's what the Bible tells us that God will do to us.
If we're not willing to show mercy toward others, we're not gonna receive mercy from him.
We all need The grace and mercy of God, and God's willing to show it.
But we need to remember others needed as well.
And may we extend it to them.
Who knows if we learn to treat others with grace and mercy and kindness and compassion.
Maybe there'll be a few, fewer grinches in the world.
Maybe there'll be a few more people who we can turn their lives around.
Not with a hubilation.
But with the grace and mercy of God extended to us, it's also extended to them.
And if you're here this evening and you need the grace of God extended to you, maybe it's because you've yet to become a Christian, and you need to repent of your sins.
You need to make that life-changing decision to put God first.
To have your sins washed away in the waters of baptism and begin a new life for him.
Or maybe you've done that.
But you drifted back into the world.
Fortunately, God is still waiting to forgive you when you repent.
And if we can assist you in any way this evening, In receiving the grace that God has in store for you, we encourage you to come now as we stand and as we sing.
- 2024.12.08P-TheGrinch.mp3 (9.79 MB)
