Sermon: December 2, 2001
Title: The Gift Of God – Part II
Text: 2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Introduction: Last week, we looked at the indescribable gift of God’s Son. The gift was unveiled for the world to see, unspeakable in its nature, unbelievable in its purpose, and unfathomable in it love. This Sunday, we will look at, the gift of God is unending in its availability, unequaled in its cost, unmistakable in its authenticity, and unparalleled in its influence.
There are not the words in the English language (or any language) to adequately describe the gift that God, in love, gave to a lost and dying world.
Illustration: Names for Christ
There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I
suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.
Billy Sunday, in a sermon, "Wonderful," quoted in The Real Billy Sunday
Just the name of Jesus brings comfort and peace to the troubled soul of a Christian
Listen to some of the words of John Newton’s song about the name of Jesus
Illustration: HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS SOUNDS by John Newton
“…Thy Name is as ointment poured forth...” Song of Solomon 1:3
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
‘Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!
Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!
I. The Gift Of God Is Unending In Its Availability.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Note: The Scriptures promise that this gift of God is freely given to all those who come and ask in faith. God is not partial in giving His Christmas gift. It was given that all people might benefit.
Remember, in His earthly minister, Jesus always made Himself available to meet the needs of all the people that came to Him.
Illustration: Just Ask For It
During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in
Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and
wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed
the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked someone why he could
not buy the supplies, he was told, “Colonel, just ask for it!” A smile broke over Roosevelt’s face.
Now he understood—the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they
would be given freely.
Our Daily Bread, October 11, 1992
~A. He is always available to save those who call on Him.
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
~B. He is always available to comfort and encourage.
2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
~C. He is always available to heal
Psalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Matthew 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
~D. He is always available to supply our needs.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
~E. He is always available to protect.
Psalms 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
~F. He is always available to keep your soul.
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
II. The Gift Of God Is Unequaled In Its Price.
1Corinthians 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
This price that was paid for the redemption of our souls was the very best that God could give.
Note: Each Person of the triune Godhead has paid dearly to make the gift of salvation possible. So certainly from the viewpoint of its "provision", we can see "The High Cost Of A Free Gift".
~A. It cost the Heavenly Father
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
~~1. It cost Him the sacrifice of His only begotten Son!
~~2. He did not spare His Son in an effort to save us from our sins!
~B. It cost Jesus
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
~~1. It cost Him the renunciation of glory and majesty in heaven with the Father.
~~2. It cost Him ridicule and humiliation.
~~3. It cost Him a a earthly life of servitude.
~~4. It cost Him suffering and death on the cross.
Illustration:
It is Christ. It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee
It is Christ. It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee,
It is Christ. It is not even thy faith, Though that be the instrument, It is Christ’s blood and merit.
- Spurgeon
~C. It cost the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. - 2 Th 2:13-14; Ep 4:30
~~1. A ministry through the ages of patiently wooing the stubborn hearts of sinful men.
~~2. Suffering long with men who treat Christ badly.
~~3. Being grieved when men resist Christ.
Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan told of a coal miner who came to him and said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I cannot believe that He will forgive them if I just ask Him. It is too cheap." Morgan said, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the mine." "How did you get out of the pit? Did you pay?" "Of course not. I just got into the cage and was pulled to the top." "Were you not afraid to entrust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?" Morgan asked. "Oh no," said the miner, "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink the shaft." Suddenly the truth struck him: that grace is not cheap; that though salvation costs us nothing, it cost God the precious blood of His Son.
Illustration:
Christ was content with a stable when he was born so that we could have a mansion when we die.
It Cost … It cost Mary and Joseph the comforts of home during a long period of exile in Egypt to
protect the little babe. It cost mothers, in and around Bethlehem, the massacre of their babies by the cruel order of Herod. It cost the shepherds the complacency of their shepherd’s life, with the call to the manger and to tell the good news. It cost the wise men a long journey and expensive gifts and changed lives. It cost the early Apostles and the early church persecution and sometimes death.
It cost missionaries of Christ untold suffering and privation to spread the Good News. It cost Christian martyrs in all ages their lives for Christ’s sake. More than all this, it cost God the Father His own Son—He sent Him to the earth to save men. It cost Jesus a life of sacrifice and service, a death cruel and unmatched in history. - Source unknown
III. The Gift Of God Is Unmistakable In Its Authenticity.
2 Samuel 7:22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
It is not a matter of finding a belief that I am satisfies my desires, but I need to find the truth that will satisfies my needs.
Illustration:
Are we free to believe in just any god? Talleyrand, who was an important figure during the French
revolution and known for his cleverness (who later became minister of foreign affairs for Napoleon) reacted to the proposition of another French deputy who was attempting to establish the new religion of reason to replace Christianity. While this deputy was trying to win votes for his proposition, Talleyrand interrupted him saying: “We will believe you when you will have died for your religion and risen from the dead after three days.”
~A. Old Testament Prophecy Validates Christ’s Claims.
Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies that were recorded centuries before His earthly ministry, including his place of birth and type of death.
~B. His Virgin Birth Validates Christ’s Claims.
There is no other person in history that can make the claim – born of a virgin
~C. His Miracles Validates Christ’s Claims.
The documentation of his miracles confirms that He was God. What kind of a person has complete power and authority over sickness, death, nature, and spiritual forces? God.
~D. The Empty Garden Tomb Validates Christ’s Claims.
No was was ever able to produce a dead body of Jesus The fact that His grave was empty after being guarded by Roman soldiers and sealed with a huge stone demonstrated His deity, He rose on the third day,
just like He said He would.
~E. Eyewitness Accounts Validates Christ’s Claims.
After the resurrection Jesus appeared to a number of people. On one occasion to at least 500 people. He not only appeared to them but He also ate and talked with them.
~F. The Transformed Lives Validates Christ’s Claims.
The disciples who had witnessed the execution of their leader went into hiding fearing for their lives, but something happened that so transformed them that they were willing to risk everything to spread the news that He was risen. What would cause such a change? No doubt, it was they saw the Resurrected Jesus! The disciples believed that the message was worth dying for and now, 2000 years later, people’s lives are still being transformed by the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Illustration:
Award-winning journalist Lee Strobel, former reporter for the Chicago Tribune, has written an investigative, journalistic report on historical Jesus and his claims to divinity.
As an award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune, Strobel began to investigate the greatest
news story of all--the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, Strobel presents compelling evidence and expert testimony for the claims of Christianity.
Lee Strobel, with a Master of Studies in Law from Yale Law School, was an award-winning journalist for thirteen years with the Chicago Tribune and other papers. He was a spiritual skeptic until 1981. Today he serves as a pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago.
IV. The Gift Of God Is Unparalleled In Its Power To Change Lives.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
This glorious gift of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has changed the lives of many. He has even changed the course of history. We can rejoice that we are not what we used to be, since He has come into our hearts.
It is He can can reshape our lives and put all the broken pieces back together again. It is He that gives us real purpose in life and a reason to live.
Illustration:
More than nineteen hundred years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous, and had neither training nor formal education.
In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the billows as if pavements, and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service. He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him. He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined. He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having so many students. He never marshalled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired. He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near. Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshipping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him. The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives! Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him. He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Saviour!
~A. This gift has changed our eternal destiny
Titust 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
~B. This gift gives us the promise of a new body.
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
~B. This gift has given us everlasting peace
Psalms 29:11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
~C. This gift has given us a living hope.
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
~D. This gift has given us an unspeakable joy
1Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
~E. This gift has given us never-ending love.
1John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Conclusion:
It is wonderful to know that we were so loved by God that He was willing to give His only Son that we migth have eternal life.
IllustrationL Possessive Pronouns
“The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns” says Martin Luther. It is one thing to say,
“Christ is a Saviour”; it is quite another thing to say, “He is my Saviour and my Lord.” The devil can
say the first; the true Christian alone can say the second. - Resource, July/August, 1990
