12/13/2009
The perfect Gift
John 3:16-21
Introduction
This morning, how do you follow last week’s service? People coming to Christ, several dedicating their lives back to the Lord.
You can’t top that - that is my prayer every week.
What you can do is pray that again God shows up and touches people’s hearts as they are open to what the Lord has for the.
John 3:16-21
That is by far the Christmas verse.
God gave the Ultimate Gift
No re-gifting necessary.
No searching for a cheap gift and then buy several of them to give to several friends.
God loved so much , He gave His son Jesus Chris t
That we might have the greatest gift-Eternal life
“God did not send him to condemn the world, but to save then world.”
God’s gift was not for show, everybody look what I bought.
It was a practical gift that would be the gift that keeps on giving.
He goes on to say- Here’s the verdict.
The judge of heaven has made a decision on the case of sin.
I have sent the light of the world , a world that loves darkness.
Those that reject the light (the gift) will be exposed for who they are.
Those that except the gift will come into the light and the world will see what God has done in their life.
In the beginning of Christmas as we know it was Mark Chapter one. John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming gift of God. A gift so great that John says he is not worthy of tying his shoes.
The word advent means “the arrival of something”.
To the world, it is the arrival of a celebration to get “something” material gifts, a Christmas work party.
To those that understand the birth of Christ, it is the arrival of the Christ Child. It is the Incarnation. The arrival of God in human form.
If the definition of advent is the arrival of something, what are you hoping to arrive this Christmas?
To some, it will be new DVD’s, maybe a xbox 360, maybe your gift won’t even fit under the tree. Your wanting a Porsche 911 Turbo with leather seats and a 10 disk cd player.
For most, there will be toys broken by New Years, and most wanted gifts forgotten by Valentine’s day.
To Apostle John, the greatest gift we need is the Christ Child, who grew to be our savior.
The gift the whole world needed then is the same gift needed today.
The giver of the greatest gift- God
T you cannot buy this gift- though some have tried.
T you cannot exchange this gift- some have tried.
T you cannot ignore this gift- though some have tried.
TThe giver of the gift- God
TThe reason foe the gift- Love
Some of us give gifts because it is the right thing to do. We really don’t want to. Let me just buy something, so we can exchange boxes.
Some of us buy gifts, maybe expensive, maybe not. But they are given in love. It is a expression of our feelings for that person.
That is what God did.
On that first Christmas, he gave the world the greatest gift out of love.
Illustration:
Like that Folgers coffee commercial. When the brother comes back from Africa and the sister greets him at the door. They smell the rich aroma of coffee and the brother hands his sister a gift. She takes the bow off the gift and places it on her brother. She says that he is her gift this year.
Because of God’s love- God says that I’m your gift.
It is the ultimate gift I can give you. It is the most sacrificial.
Giver of the gift- God.
Reason for the gift- Love.
Recipient of the gift- you and me (the world) if they accept.
God offers the gift to the world.
“Whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God promises (which you can take to the bank) that if you believe in the gift, accept the gift, that we would not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 14:1-4
“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it weren’t so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Pure love
Advent- the arrival of something- Jesus Christ has come.
Advent- preparing for Jesus. Jesus telling us that He has gone to prepare a place for us. Where I am, you may be also. Pure love, the perfect gift
Illustration:(Sermon Central)
In far away cold country a number of years ago there was a young orphaned boy selling papers on a cold, freezing Christmas Eve afternoon. Toward the close of the afternoon the little boy went up to a policeman and said, Sir, I’m real cold. I nearly froze to death last night. Do you know someone who could take me in tonight? The policeman said, Son, go right down that street to that big white two-story house. It’s a mission. When you get there you will need the password. When the man comes to the door just say; “John 3, verse 16” and he’ll take you in. The little boy said, What’s a mission? The policemen said, Just go down there and say, ’John 3 verse 16.’ The little boy went down and he knocked on the big door. In a moment a kind faced man came to the door and the little boy said, John 3, verse 16. The man said, Come on in, son. The little boy said, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get you in a big house. He said, Son, are you cold? He said, I’m so cold that I’m shaking all over. The man said, Son, come right over here. There was a big roaring fireplace. The man said, Just get as close as you want to this fireplace and just sit there until it just warms you all the way through. The little boy just got right up close to that fireplace and he just got warmer and warmer and warmer and he said, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a cold boy warm. In a moment the man said, Son, are you hungry? The boy said, Mister, I’m so hungry that I don’t know what to do. I haven’t had a good meal in days and days and days. He said, Come in here, son. He took him into a room and there was a big table and the table was loaded with a Christmas Eve meal. There was turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes and pies and cakes. He said, Son, you just pull up a chair to this table and just eat until you are full and can’t eat anymore. The little boy grabbed a chair and pulled himself up to the table and said, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will make a hungry boy satisfied. He ate until he could eat no more. Then the man came and said, Son, are you dirty? You’ve been out on the street a lot. Do you need a bath? The boy said, Mister, I haven’t had a bath in I couldn’t tell you when. Yes, I’m dirty. The man said, Come with me. He took him up to the second floor to a room. There was one of those old porcelain tubs. The man began to draw warm water. He said, Son, here’s a bar of perfumed soap. Take that soap and get in that warm water and just wash and scrub and wash and scrub until you get yourself real clean. The little boy got in there, and he just washed himself good. He scrubbed himself good and he felt good all over, and he got out dripping and said, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure will get a dirty boy clean. There were some warm, clean pajamas laid out. He put them on. The man said, Son, are you tired? He said, Yes, sir. I’m tired. I’ve been walking on the streets. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep. I’m so tired. He said, Come with me. He took him into another room and there was a big bed with clean sheets on it and a big heavy quilt on it. He said, Son, get in that warm bed and sleep just as long as you want to sleep. And he did. He slept late the next morning and when he woke up he said, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means, but it sure can get a tired boy rested. The man came in and the little boy said, Sir, I don’t know what John 3, verse 16, means. Could you tell me what is it? The man opened his Holy Bible and read it in the book of John Chapter 3 verse 16. John 3:16 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.My son, John 3:16 tell us what Christmas is all about. It is about God’s unconditional love, God’s unspeakable gift, God’s unselective deliverance and God’s uncommon blessing. The room was denied for the Son of God as he was born in a manger so that you become accepted in His mansion in heaven. He strips off His royal robe of deity and put on the form of human flesh so that He can cleanse you and then cloth you the robe of righteousness. His body has been broken in the cross like bread as He shed his blood so that He can quench and satisfy your spiritual hunger and thirst. Yes He became tired and weary of His cross so that he can say; Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” My son, you may wonder why everything that I gave you in this house are free. It is because somebody has already paid the price the same way Christ paid the greatest price by shedding His blood so that we can enjoy all the blessing of Christmas.
Romans 5:8:
“But God has shown us how much He loves us. It is while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us.”
In the beginning god created man and place him in the garden of Eden. Man abused the the perfect garden by committing sin and forfeiting his right for eternal life. Satan rules by default.
God has a plan.
God begins a rescue.
Randy Bataanon shares an illustration. (Sermon Central)
I can imagine Michael, the commander of God’s army of angels saying, let’s go invade the earth and take back what Satan has stolen. Lets snatch the keys by force. But god saying I am God of justice and have since man’s authority has been surrendered to the devil by man’s free will, it shall be recovered by the same way. The son of God says to God the Father, send me to die on the cross Father. Let me be the greatest gift to the world.
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son”
John 14;6
“I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father ,but by me.
John 6:47
“He who believes on me has everlasting life”
Mark 1:15
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe the gospel.
Rev. 21:4
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain; for the former things passed away’
“For whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”
Illustration
The art collector.
Auction of great value paintings.
Painting of the son that wouldn’t sell.
Someone offering 50.00 so the auction could continue.
Auction over- whoever takes the son, takes the whole thing.
Rev. 3:20
“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he with me.”
Closing:
How do you top last week? Asking God to do something far more than we can do ourselves.
Isn’t that Christmas?
God doing something we cannot do for ourselves.
He doesn’t just talk about love. He expresses love. He gives an example of love.
God’s love- expressed by Jesus Christ.
Our expression of what we think of His gift- some will reject it, some will try to put it off to the side.
What will you do with it?
Altar Call.
