A Gift Worth Recieving Series

Folks, folks, I read this letter and I just sat back in my chair and I said, "This is what Christmas is all about." Some dear, I don’t even know who she is. Her first name is Diana. Some lady came two Sundays ago, heard me talk about The Gift Worth Giving and all of a sudden she said, "I’m not going to let this Christmas pass without giving. A single Mom, two boys. I mean she could be feeling sorry for herself. What’s she do? She goes down and helps feed some of the homeless and she adopts a family from the Salvation Army, and you know what, she’s grabbing life. She’s not about to let life pass her by. And then she talks about coming here and just feeling warmth and just feeling accepted and loved. I had a person tell me last Sunday they said that five people literally came up to them and thanked them for coming to church. And they were just a first time guest.

All I’m saying is a special place where we seek God. Every one of us know a couple. You know a couple Sundays ago when I was preaching that message, I think that every person in the service realized that God was there in a special way. Now, folks, all I want to say is this and then I’ll move on. All I want to say is, you know what I covet for this church more than anything else? Not big buildings, not hillsides, nothing. I’ll tell you what I covet. All I covet for us is to be a people of God that come to worship where people who are either hurting or looking or searching, like Simeon, can walk into this church and there they can feel God, see God and find God. Amen? If that can happen here, that’s all we need.

Well, two more things quickly. 4 and 5.

4. He personally received Jesus.

Can you imagine the feeling in Simeon’s spirit in verse 28 when he took the Christ child into his arms and blessed God? Can you imagine the feeling? He personally received the Christ child. And let me just stop here long enough to say this, folks, my brothers and sisters, listen to me. My goal for every person in this room for this Christmas is for you to know God personally. Not know God through your parents, not know God because you affiliate and associate with Christians, not even know God because you come to this church. I’m not talking about knowing God kind of by proxy. I’m talking about knowing God personally. Every one of you. My goal is that you know God and you can say, "I know that my redeemer liveth. Not pastor’s, not my mom and Dad’s, not my husband’s, not my wife’s. I want to personally know Him."

5. When you receive Jesus, like Simeon, you’re ready to die.

Now, I didn’t say when you receive Jesus you’ll die. Don’t panic on me. What I did say is when you receive him, like Simeon, then you’re ready to die. You say, "Okay, God, I’m ready to go." Look at what Simeon said in verse 29, "Now, Lord, though dost let thy bond servant depart in peace according to thy Word." Why? "For my eyes have seen thy salvation." I’m ready to go he said, because I’ve seen God. I’ve seen him. It’s a gift worth receiving.

CONCLUSION