Be The Gift Series

Video Illustration: Mr. Hollands Opus is a story about a man who invested in other people with music and in the scene he is discouraged – feels like a failure because his program is cut and he soon discovers how he had become the gift to so many people.

Series: Be the Gift!

Thesis: If we have received the indescribable gift of Jesus and are thankful for this gift then we should want to choose to be the gift to others this Christmas season. Why? So, they too can receive the greatest gift of all time. We need to receive the gift and be the gift because this is the best Christmas gift you can give Jesus for His birthday!

Scripture Text:

2 Corinthians 9:6-15: Sowing Generously

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

9As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

13Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Introduction:

We are into the season of gift giving just recall last weekend – we were bombarded with the “Red Hot” Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale deals. The stuff has been unleashed on to all of us and the ads of finding that right gift abound on the internet, TV, radio and in paper adds. People are making their lists of what they want and some are posting them on Amazon and other such websites – they want people to know these are the perfect gifts for them. But for those quiet people the ones who say “I don’t need anything” it’s hard to discover what is the right perfect gift? My mom and her husband Ron are like that “we don’t need anything” – but Kathy this week knows my mom and knows what is the perfect gift for her so she mobilized the family and recruited all of us to take a day between know and Christmas to have them call my mom each day – now that is a perfect gift for my mom!

What was the greatest gift or most perfect gift you have ever received? I once received a truck for Christmas – no really – I bought it for myself when I was single. No seriously what is the best gift you have ever received – can I challenge you think about it? For me it was the gift of encouragement I received when feeling down about ministry and about 14 people were impressed by the Lord to call me, from all over the world – some sent me emails or even cards and to encourage me – wow that was a perfect gift!

I. The perfect gift or giving the right gift.

a. I read a sermon on sermoncentral.com called “The Perfect Gift” written by Leo Launio and he said this: “Finding the right store and the right price are two other related concerns. Just weeks before the holiday season started, bazaars and other bargain stores have been flooded with people. People go to these stores to find not necessarily the right item, but for the right price. But why worry about the right gift?” He goes on to share why we search for the perfect gift for people:

i. He noted “For one thing, gifts convey several messages:”

1. “Gifts convey a message about the giver’s economic, social, and moral status in life. If a gift, for example, is an expensive one, we generally conclude that the giver is rich. If a gift has religious bearing, we often think that the giver is a pious (religious) person.”