SERMON OUTLINE:
• A Personal Gift
• A Practical Gift
• A Pleasing Gift
• A Permanent Gift
SERMON BODY
Ill:
• My wife Penny is not in the room so let me tell you what I have got her for Christmas.
• You may be surprised to know that I have bought her an artificial leg!
• Well, obviously that’s no her main present,
• It’s just a stocking filler!
Ill:
• I don’t know if I should tell you this,
• But I did find from her a note placed on my desk.
• Rather, than a long list certain items, she simply requested
• “Something that will make me look sexy and beautiful”.
• (Pause for effect)
• Can’t wait to see her face Christmas morning when she discovers her exercise bike!
Question: Is there any such thing as, "The perfect Christmas gift?"
• Some of you have probably planned out your gift months ago,
• You have gotten everything together,
• For what you knew would be the perfect gift for your loved one.
• In fact, you were so excited that you could hardly wait for them to get it.
• But maybe it didn’t turn out perfect as you were expecting!
Questions:
• How do you know the perfect gift when you see it?
• What requirements does it have to meet?
• Does it just have to meet a certain weight in gold?
• Or have a certain amount of diamonds or come from a certain price bracket?
• Does it just have to come from a certain store or have a certain designer’s name on it?
• And who decides it is the perfect gift; the giver or the receiver?
Answer:
• I have found the perfect gift!
• Are you ready, then I will share my knowledge with you,
• I am giving away the gift of ‘Nothing’.
• And this Christmas I am going to be very generous in sharing that gift.
• Let me explain why!
• NOTHING is truly an incredible product.
• Look at what NOTHING can do:
• NOTHING slices.
• NOTHING dices.
• NOTHING is fat free & glutton free.
• NOTHING cuts cholesterol.
• NOTHING cures cancer.
• NOTHING makes you happy.
• NOTHING is acid free.
• NOTHING is antibacterial.
• NOTHING is recyclable.
• NOTHING is delivered.
• NOTHING is guaranteed not to chip, crack or peel.
• NOTHING is politically correct.
• NOTHING is available in boxes.
• NOTHING is available in bottles.
• NOTHING is available in bags (plastic or paper).
• NOTHING beats a great pair of legs. (Sorry, couldn't resist that one!)
Ok, Not convinced then listen to these endorsements from the rich & famous:
• Actress & Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor:
• "NOTHING saved my marriage."
• Plato, The Republic
• “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
• Russian American novelist Ayn Rand wrote:
• “If you write a line of zeroes, it´s still nothing.”
• George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist who said:
• "I got plenty of nothing"
• Actor Karl Urban:
• “Nothing beats a great smile”
• The great bard of Avon - William Shakespeare:
• “Having nothing, nothing can he lose.”
• That great philosopher Winnie the Pooh said:
• “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something”
• (A A Milne)
• So in my household, the Curley Clan can expect the great gift of ‘Nothing’.
• And this Christmas I am going to go overboard and share that gift!
TRANSITION: This evening, I want to talk to you about The Perfect Christmas Gift.
• If you are still awake and listening you might be thinking to yourself:
• "Didn’t he just tell us that he had no idea what a perfect gift is;
• And now you are going to preach to us about what one is?”
• Let me explain;
• I can do it because I am not speaking from my own wisdom.
• I have expert advise when it comes to choosing of the Perfect Gift!
• My expert source when talking about the perfect gift is God.
• And he has shared this information with us in his Word, the Holy Bible.
• I find four principles we can take on board;
• As we examining the Perfect gift!
Note:
• When it comes to God and giving;
• I want to base what I say on John chapter 3 verse 16.
• This verse is so important because it explains the reason for Christmas
• It explains why history is divided into B.C. and A.D.
• It summarises the message of the Bible in a single sentence.
• It tells you how to settle your eternal destiny.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
If you want to give the perfect gift; it should be...
(1). A PERSONAL GIFT
• Quote: “For God SO LOVED the world…”
• (John chapter 3 verse 16a)
• Now fellers, you can wait until the last moment before you get your wife a gift.
• But when she opens that can of de-icer or car air-freshener,
• She is going to know that you went to the garage late on Christmas Eve.
If a gift is going to be appreciated, if it is going to be a winner:
• It is going to take some thought.
• It needs to take into consideration the person,
• What are their likes, their dislikes, their personality, their needs, their interests.
• A gift needs to be personal, a reflection of their personality;
• i.e. My wife is creative, she appreciates something that reflects that;
• She loves a good story, so a book or a DVD is always a winner.
• A gift of value maybe something of yourself.
• i.e. If I were to make something for Penny,
• She would probably appreciate it more than if I just bought it.
The time and effort in making or choosing a gift:
• I would say counts more than the price of a gift.
• If you have the funds anyone can write a cheque or click on PayPal.
• But not anyone can or will put in time and energy in choosing or creating a gift!
• TRANSITION: Let’s look at God’s gift.
• It is a gift born out of love with the recipient in mind!
• That word ‘so’ in the Greek text is an adverb of intensity;
• That simply means nobody will ever love you with the intensity that God does.
• His love is extravagant his love is lavish, his love is beyond comprehension,
• No man will ever love you more than God does.
• No other human being will ever love you with more intensity than God loves.
Let’s be honest, the best gifts of all are the ones that have your name on the label:
Ill:
• One thing I tell children in holiday clubs etc
• When I share this verse with them is this;
• You can replace the word ‘whoever’ and instead put your name in instead.
“For God so loved YOUR NAME that he gave his one and only Son, that YOUR NAME believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Ill:
• If you were to look at Rembrandt’s painting of The Three Crosses,
• Your attention would be drawn first to the centre cross on which Jesus died.
Then as you would look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross,
• You’d note the various facial expressions and actions;
• Of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God.
• Finally, your eyes would drift to the edge of the painting;
• And catch sight of another figure, almost hidden in the shadows.
• Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself,
• For he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus to the cross.
REMBRANDT REALISED:
• The two-fold direction of God's loving and giving.
• "World (people) & Whoever" (individuals).
• Quote: What does the word ‘whoever’ mean;
• The child replied: “Everyone in the world and me!”
• And when God sent his Christmas gift... it was personal.
• He sent his only Son, the Son that He loved.
• And he sent him for you and me!
If you want to give the perfect gift; it should be...
(2). Practical Gift
• Quote: “…he gave his one and only SON”
• (John chapter 3 verse 16b)
ill:
• Don’t buy a bald man a comb for Christmas!
• Don’t buy an alcoholic a bottle of booze!
• Don’t buy someone on a diet a box of cholates.
• Don’t buy garden furniture for somebody living in a block of flats.
• Don’t buy a Southampton shirt for a Pompy fan (or the other way round)
• All of us have been given gifts that are so out of character for us,
• That you immediately thought,
• "Another one for the gift pile, I’ll give this away at the earliest opportunity.
TRANSITION: For a gift to be any good it has to be USEFUL.
• It has to be something that the receiver would like, will use.
• The more useful, the better.
• When God sent His Perfect gift it was Practical.
• Because the gift met our deepest needs.
• And the gift met a need that we could not.
Ill:
• A few months ago some of us went to an event, a men’s night,
• Over in Hedge End.
• At that event they showed this video in the context of encouraging men to ‘go for it’
• It is an inspirational video;
• And I would like to show it with a different application.
• YouTube: https://YouTube/IocLkk3aYlk
• That brilliant advert "We're the Superhumans"
• Was made for television by Channel 4,
• Made to promote its broadcast of the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
• The advert by featured "everyday" people with disabilities, in addition to para-athletes.
• The makers "…wanted to say any disabled person can be a superhuman.”
• The punchline is "Yes I Can"
TRANSITION: Actually there is one thing no-one can achieve.
• Able-bodied or disabled.
• Man or woman.
• Rich or poor.
• Black or white.
• Young or old.
• Religious or atheist.
• Wise or unlearned.
No human being can get right with God by themselves!
• The Bible says (Isaiah chapter 59 verse 2);
• “Your sins have separated you from your God”
ill:
• And no human being can ever bridge that gap!
• Not the Pope or Mother Teresa.
• Not Bishop Desmond Tutu or evangelist Billy Graham.
• Not the writers of these Christmas carols;
• Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts or Philip Brooks.
• No man!
• Not Muhammad, not Guru Nanak,
• Not he Buda (Siddhartha Gautama) or any other founder of a religion.
It would take more than a man to save humanity:
• It would take someone fully human to represent me and you,
• But it would need someone divine to represent God.
• And those two natures were united together in Jesus the Christ.
Quote: Charles Wesley’s carol: ‘Hark the herald angels sing’.
“Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"”
Quote:
“Jesus did not just tell the truth – he is the truth,
Jesus did not point out the way to God – he is the way,
Jesus did not simply talk about life – he imparts life,
Jesus did not just preach righteousness – he embodied holiness,
Each characteristic and attribute of God is made visible in Jesus Christ!
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.”
Ill:
The Pit - by (Kenneth D Filkins)
• A man fell into a pit and could not get himself out!
• A subjective person came along and said, 'I feel for' I you down there.'
• An objective person came along and said,
• "It's logical that someone would fall down there. "
• A Pharisee said, 'Only bad people fall into pits.'
• A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the man's pit.
• Confucius said, 'If you had listened to me, you wouldn't be in that pit.'
• Buddha said, 'Your pit is only a state of mind.'
• A realist said, 'That's a pit!'
• A scientist calculated the pressure necessary (PSI) to get him out of the pit.
• A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in The pit.
• A tax mall asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
• The council inspector asked if he had a permit to dig a pit.
• An evasive person came along and avoided the subject of his pit altogether.
• A self-pitying person said, 'You haven't seen anything until you've seen MY pit!'
• An optimist said, "Things could be worse,"
• A pessimist said, 'Things will get worse.'
• Jesus came along, seeing the man,
• Took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
If you want to give the perfect gift; it should be...
(3). A PLEASING GIFT
• Quote: “…whoever believes in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE”.
• (John chapter 3 verse 16c)
Ill:
• Back in 1891, Robert Louis Stevenson;
• Author of such classics as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped,
• Gave a rather odd gift to the daughter of a friend of his.
• This friend, Henry Ide,
• Once joked that Christmas was not the happiest day of the year in his household.
• His 14-year-old daughter, Annie, had been born on Christmas day;
• she always complained she got cheated out of a separate birthday party.
• So Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the idea of giving away his birthday.
• He drew up a legal document;
• In it he transferred all the "rights and privileges" of his birthday,
• Which fell on November 13th, to Miss Annie H. Ide.
• And from that day forward,
• Annie celebrated her birthday on November 13th.
• TRANSITION: Robert Louis Stevenson was not the first;
• To transfer all his "rights and privileges" to someone else.
• In a sense, Jesus became mortal;
• That He might transfer some of His immortality to us.
• Jesus became human;
• That He might transfer the spark of divinity to us.
• Jesus became a servant;
• That He might transfer us to the status of sons and daughters.
Ill:
2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 puts it this way.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
• Jesus took the death we deserved;
• So that He might transfer life to us.
• Jesus took our sin;
• That He might transfer to us his righteousness.
• He gives us a right standing before a holy God.
• The Bible (Psalm 32 verse 1) says:
• “Happy are those whose sins are forgiven”.
If you want to give the perfect gift; it should be...
(4). A Permanent Gift.
• Quote: “…ETERNAL life.
• (John chapter 3 verse 16d)
Ill:
• We have probably all had gifts that did not make it through Christmas day.
• Last year my son Arlo was given remote control mini-helicopter.
• I think on almost the first flight id crashed and was out of action,
• I am still unsure if it ever got fixed.
• Others gifts lasted longer but eventually broke or rusted or wore out.
• Or we just got fed up with them.
• Still other gifts lasted a long time, they never had a problem.
• But we just outgrew them!!!!
• Other gifts they just got antiquated... out of style and out of date
• e.g. Mr F’s wardrobe – those flared trousers, that collection of cravats,
• I am told he even has some platform shoes!
• The perfect gift would be one that would never break,
• Never be outgrown or outdated,
• One that would always be needed,
• Always be satisfying and desirable,
• One that would last as long as we do.
TRANSITION: When God sent his Perfect Gift it was permanent.
• Forgiveness is permanent – free of guilt.
• The Holy Spirit is permanent – changing us day by day.
• The future – we will not perish but enjoy life everlasting!
Ill:
• Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents.
• At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers.
• The youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs,
• "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE. I PRAY FOR A NEW NINTENDO. I PRAY FOR A VCR"
• His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said,
• "Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't deaf."
• To which the little brother replied,
• "No, but Gramma is!"
• TRANSITION: God is not deaf,
• He is only a prayer away!
• Why not call out to him now and receive the gift he offers?
And if you have yet to receive Jesus Christ as your saviour, then do so now.
• I often say it’s as easy as A.B.C.
• Let me explain.
• A = Admit – Like Adam I am a sinner by nature and by practice.
• And I know my sin is an offence to a holy God.
• B = Believe – that the last Adam Jesus bore your sins when he died on the cross.
• Put your faith and trust in him and his finished work and not your good works.
• C = Consider – am I willing to make Jesus Christ Lord of my life,
• Am I will to repent, turn from living for self and start to live for him?
• D = Do – will you do that now as I lead you in a short prayer of commitment to Christ.
• Let’s pray.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=0u5jBoxs193T8cUIpjFTcVow4dmNErzJ
