As I start my sermon this morning I want to ask if anyone here today likes to receive presents. Does anyone have with them today a present that they received from someone?
[ask around room and get people to tell about the special present and who gave them]
There’s something special about receiving something as a present over and above getting it just for yourself. I suppose that if you bought yourself something no one would mind if you wasted it or threw it away but when as a present there’s an obligation on the part of the recipient to take care because you could offend the person who gave it to you.
I have a present – it’s a bike made from wire [hand it round for people to get a closer look and feel] It’s a bit scrappy if you look at it up close but if you come to my house you’ll see this bike on display on a shelf in my office.
It means a great deal to me and I display it always - you see it’s from a friend in Zambia. He came to visit me and brought me this bike as a present. In Zambia the poor street children pick up bits of scrap from the rubbish heaps and use them to make things. They then sell the things to passers by for a living. My friend lives and works in a copper mine in Zambia and he tells me that for these young boys who make the things it is their only source of income. Whenever he travels throughout the world on business he buys a number of these items as gifts for the people he meets along the way. It’s a really special gift because of where it has come from and who brought it to me.
Has anyone ever received a present from someone that you didn’t like? No - not from your Mother In Law. I mean hs anyone ever received A PRESENT that you didn’t like?
Perhaps your grandchildren or children. You know what I mean – the type of gift that you look at it thinking “oh my goodness no!” whilst saying “ oh thank you – that’s lovely”
My 6-year-old son likes to go walking in the fields behind our house and on occasions he’s picked some flowers on the way for his mum. Usually dandelions or some other type of weed and occasionally some tufts of grass.
All god’s creation I know but hardly a bouquet from Interflora. Or the lovely flowers in church today.
He gives the weeds to his mum and she says “Oh Thomas thank you” and she gives him a big kiss and fetches a little jar as a vase to put them in. We often have little jars of dandelions, grass, thistles, daisies or buttercups on our kitchen window ledge – and in some ways they are much better than any bought bunch because it was my son who gave them.
Can you imagine how my son would feel if my wife said to him “oh they are only weeds” or if she took them from him and just put them in the bin when she thought that he wasn’t looking. Because he see everything.
A jar of my son’s flowers had been in the jar on the window ledge for several days and had died. When we eventually threw them out my son wanted to know why we weren’t displaying them still.
Has anyone ever given someone a present and they just threw it back in your face – so to say. Have you ever given an ornament or a picture to someone and the next time you called they weren’t displaying it?
I know that’s what Church jumble sale’s are for and that someone will like it – but what if you thought long and hard about that particular present? What if it was a really valuable present – but the person you gave it to didn’t recognise its true value and stuffed it in the attic or the bin. You might feel a bit unhappy when you went to visit and realised that your gift had been not appreciated.
What has all this to do with the passage from LUKE 12 on watchfulness?
Well in that passage we are instructed by Jesus himself to be ready – verse 40 “you also must be ready”
Ready for what?
Verse 40 tells us that Jesus will come again, AND that it could be anytime, AND that you must be ready.
“You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”
But how can we be ready? You might ask I pray every day, I come to Church on Sundays. I’m a really kind person – I think. I’m a good Christian – I’m ready – I think – er maybe.
Well one of the ways in which you can be ready is to think about the presents or the gifts that you have received.
I’m referring to the gifts that you have received from God.
God has given each one of us here a gift (or even two or three gifts) At that single precious moment in time when Jesus calls on you will you be caught displaying your gifts. Will you be caught using them for God’s glory. Or will one or two of us be caught with them tucked away somewhere unused. Will we be caught misusing the gifts?
And we WILL be caught.
Some years ago a group of friends organised a fancy dress party. We wanted to make it a bit better than the normal fancy dress parties that we had every time so one guy had the idea of a “Come as you are caught” party.
Have you ever been to a “come as you are caught party”?
In the weeks before the party he visited each of the guests with his camera and took a snapshot of them. Then the idea is that you have to come to the party wearing EXACTLY what you were wearing when you were caught.
AND the sneaky trickster turned up to everyone at the most unexpected time. Three o’ clock in the morning, some people came to the party in their pyjamas. At work; some turned up in working overalls. One lady was in the shower when he rang her doorbell. She poked her nose around the door wearing a towel and shower cap and snap – he’d got her. (Yes she came to the party in towel and shower cap – though there were several strong safety pins in the towel and a swimming costume on under the towel – thank heavens)
No one knew when he was coming and because he left it a few weeks from the time he announced that he would call people had forgotten and were off their guard. When I put my name on the party lest I slept fully clothed for three days so as to be ready; but I gave up after a few days and was caught out like the rest. That was all a laugh – but a lot of people looked very silly indeed. If only we had took heed of verse 35 “be dressed ready for service and keep you lamps burning”
But the gifts that I am talking about are the Gift’s from God?
Gifts from God?, you may be thinking, I don’t have any gifts – do I? Well yes you do.
In 1 Corinthians 7 verse 7 says “ each man has his own gift from God. One has this gift another has that”
Each man and woman in this Church today has HIS OWN gift from God. Individual - specially selected just for you.
What for?
To serve others for God’s glory.
1 Peter 4 verse 10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in it’s various forms”
Now at this point in the sermon some of us may be feeling a bit uncomfortable. If you are thinking “Oh dear – I wonder what my gift is and how should I be using it in this church for God’s glory? - Then GOOD.
You may be blessed with the assurance that you know what your gifts are and be using them already – The GOOD
GOOD and GOOD – you see this is not a trap. Jesus telling you to keep watchful is not a trap like the fancy dress party. When Jesus returns He does not want to catch you out – he does not want you to look a fool.
Luke 12 verse 46 says “ The servant who knows his masters will (That’s us Christians) and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows”
Jesus does not want you to be beaten either.
And just in case you’re thinking that God is being a bit harsh on his servants who know His will (we Christians) The ones who don’t know his will - will also be beaten (Luke 12 verse 48 – I’ll let you read that at home for yourself)
When Jesus comes (and we know not when) he wants to catch you displaying the gifts he carefully chose for you and gave you. He wants you using them for His glory by serving others in His name – maybe in this church RIGHT HERE.
Just back tracking for a moment just in case there is someone here who hasn’t recognised his or her gift yet.
There’s a lady at our church who told me that she wasn’t very good at anything really – that she had no gifts. I heard this lady lead worship one-day and I tell you this. Neither before nor since have I heard a service with so much love oozing out of every word. This lady is truly lovely in every spiritual way you can imagine.
She says that she has no gifts but in 1 Corinthians 13 verse 13 talks about the spiritual gifts of faith, hope and love. And says “the greatest of these is love”
Possessed of the greatest gift of all, using it all the time and she says that she doesn’t have any gifts – I think she has great humility and humbleness too – even more gifts from God.
What’s your gift? God wants us to look good; each and every one of us. Do you think God wants Christians to look bad in this world? Or look wishy washy or not make a difference?
I think God would like you to look good in his eyes and if you use the gift that he sent you - you will. So don’t be shy about pushing forward.
I wish I could play a musical instrument – I can’t I have tried. If God has given you the gift, which enables you to play an instrument, then start playing for His glory – In this church perhaps?
Can you talk? This town needs Christian preachers. If you ever dreamed of preaching this is your call to preach.
Are you good with children? – Could the junior church or youth club do with your help?
There are lots of gifts you could have. Read Romans 12 verses 4 to 13. There’s prophesying, serving, teaching, contributing, leading, showing mercy and my favourite because I see it do so much good so many times in our church.
That’s the gift of encouraging.
How is it that the football team plays better at home than when away? Could it be several thousand people encouraging?
1 Corinthians 14 verse 12 says “ try to excel in gifts which build up the church”
It is really good when someone does something good in Church but far better when the encouragers applaud or give them a pat on the back.
The flowers in church today – thank you whoever arranged them – and the other people who do them other weeks. The property committee and development committee, the treasurer – Thank you.
Our Musicians – What a vital role in our worship. Kept going with your encouragement. The Encouraging, if that’s your gift, can really be a great lift for the church. I encourage you to keep encouraging.
Now if anyone is feeling guilty still then I want you to stop feeling guilty. Ours is a faith of joy and Jesus just might be hinting that your life on this earth will be more fruitful and satisfying if you live it in readiness for His return.
Got that? Your life on this earth will be more fruitful and satisfying if you live it in readiness for his return.
Ephesians 6 verse 15 talks about “the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
Everyone has a gift, which is sent to you by God for use in His church. When He comes There will be no time to run up to the attic, or even to search your heart, to get it out of the box you’ve been keeping it in. There will be no time to suddenly start using it. The only way to ensure readiness is to always live with your gifts on display or in use for God’s glory?
Dear friends – One day Jesus will return – At that single precious moment in time I hope and pray that every one of us here in this Church will be ready – Amen
