4 Christmas Gifts You Don’t Have To Wait To Open

4 CHRISTMAS GIFTS YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT TO OPEN

Matthew 2:11

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: WHEN JOSEPH WENT ROGUE

1. The Director of the Christmas play was nervous when she cast Jimmy, the middle-school class clown, as Joseph in the Christmas Pageant.

2. Her fears were realized when Jimmy decided to do a little improvisation by pulling out his cell phone in the pageant’s opening scene.

3. The astonished Director, who was narrating, whispered, “What are you doing with your phone?”

4. Jimmy smiled and replied, “This year I’m phoning that inn to make a reservation!”

B. THESIS

1. The idea of giving gifts on Christmas originated with the wise men presenting gifts to Jesus, but it’s become something different – us giving presents to ourselves!

2. There are some crazy gifts on the market this Christmas: Turf Sandals, Earwax Candle Kit, Burrito Blanket, Snail Mucus Cream, Bacon Bandages, 3D T-Rex Sweater, bag of Edible Insects, Shocking Potato Game, Pimple Popping Toy, etc.

3. There may be some gift you don’t like or need. So what do we do with these gifts? A Survey found:

31%: Keep it

30%: Hide it

13%: Toss it

12%: Give it away

6%: Return it

4. Retail workers tell you that following Christmas, stores are flooded with people not satisfied with their gifts & come to return them.

5. What do we REALLY want for Christmas? I’m going to tell you about “4 CHRISTMAS GIFTS” GOD wants to give you this Christmas & better... “YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT TO OPEN” them!”

I. 4 GIFTS YOU CAN OPEN NOW!

A. FIRST, GOD’S LOVE

1. Love is not something that you can buy at the store, but everyone in the world wants it. They’d rather have love than all the other things they’ll get this Christmas.

2. The best kind of love has no conditions and never changes. It’s extremely rare on earth, but not rare in heaven.

3. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.

4. God says, “I have loved you with an EVERLASTING LOVE; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” Jer. 31:3. That means God has always loved YOU!

5. Rom. 5:8 tells us the immensity of God’s love, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

6. GOD OFFERS YOU THAT KIND OF LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS. The reason Jesus came was so that you could know how much God loves you!

B. SECOND GIFT: GOOD HEALTH

1. When Adam & Eve sinned, sickness & death entered the world. But when God’s Son came, He paid the price – not only for our sins, but for our sicknesses as well.

2. Matt. 8:16-17 & Isa. 53:4-5 make clear that Jesus atoned for our sicknesses. Healing is available by faith in His Word & work.

3. Many times the Bible says that Jesus healed them all (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 12:15; 14;14; 14:34-36; Luke 6:17-19). Jesus is still healing the sick. He’s the same, yesterday, today, and forever!

4. Many people would gladly give up all their Christmas presents if they could have their health improved. Why don’t you ask God for this gift this Christmas? It’s already paid for!

C. THIRD GIFT: FORGIVENESS

1. Forgiveness is freedom from past guilt. Jesus came to this earth so you and I could be forgiven.

2. God says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” Isa. 1:18. God tells us, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” Isa. 44:22. God will “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” Mic. 7:19.

3. You can be forgiven of your sins and put in right relationship to God this Christmas, even today! “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin” 1 John 1:7.

4. The angel who spoke to Joseph said, “…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”. Mt. 1:21

5. Jesus IS OUR FORGIVENESS! He frees from our past. We are justified; “just as if I’d” never sinned at all.

6. This Christmas, why don’t you receive the gift of forgiveness. God says that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

D. FOURTH GIFT: HAPPINESS

1. A WSJ poll [2023] found that the happiest people in America are those who most value religious belief/ THEY ARE PEOPLE OF FAITH.* They are much happier than the average population.