THE GIFT
A Sermon by Drew Stephens
Copyright 2001
I would like all of the children to come forward. And make a line in front of each of the boxes on along the altar. We have a small gift of candy we would like to give you. I would like each of you to one at a time, open the box and look inside.
These boxes represent what you can give to Jesus in honor of His birth and God’s gift to us of His Son. At Christmas we celebrate His birthday, but how often do we look for the perfect gift for Him. Don’t tell anyone what is in the box. It is a personal gift between you and God. It is something only you can give. As the children come I’d like to read a poem.
His Name Is At the Top
I had the nicest Christmas list,
The longest one in town,
Till Daddy looked at it and said,
"You’ll have to cut it down."
I knew that what he said was true
Beyond the faintest doubt,
But was amazed to hear him say,
"You’ve left your best Friend out."
And so I scanned my list again,
And said, "Oh, that’s not true!"
But Daddy said, "His name’s not there,
That Friend who died for you."
And then I clearly understood,
’Twas Jesus that he meant;
For Him who should come first of all;
I hadn’t planned a cent!
I’d made a Christmas birthday list,
And left the Savior out!
But, oh, it didn’t take me long
To change the list about.
And tho’ I’ve had to drop some names
Of folks I like a lot
My Lord must have the most,
because HIS NAME IS AT THE TOP!
The Boxes
Tomorrow morning there will be wonderful presents, wrapped in beautiful paper, tied in ribbons and bows, beneath the Christmas tree. There will be games, and clothes, candles, and gadgets, books, and music, all selected with love and care. But Christmas, is the celebration of Jesus Birth. It is a remembrance of what God gave to us. What do we have under the tree for Jesus? What gift could we possible give to God that could express our love for Him? As we begin our Christmas Celebration, lets start it off right by singing, “Happy Birthday Jesus.” Joel lead us.
Gifts
At Christmas time we naturally think about gifts. Most of us invest a great deal of time and energy into finding just the right gifts for our loved ones. But there are good gifts and there are bad gifts.
According to an American Express survey on Christmas gifts found that the fruitcake was chose most often (31%) as the worst holiday gift. It even finished ahead of “no gift at all.”
When asked how to dispose of a bad gift, any bad gift not just the proverbial fruit cake, 30% said they hide it in a closet, 21% would return it, and 19% said they would give it to someone else. So if you get a fruitcake at your New Years Eve party, you can bet it’s been recycled at least once.
But what about some of the good gifts?
My Favorite Gift.
What is your favorite Christmas gift? Think back over the years. What present do you remember most fondly? I remember when I was 7 years old I got an Army helicopter that meant so much to me. It is the only gift I can remember my parents letting me open on Christmas Eve. It meant so much to me because at the time my older brother was serving in Vietnam. Every time I played with it, I was reminded of him.
So what is your favorite present? Perhaps, it was jewelry, a toy, a piece of clothing or a trip?
My favorite Christmas Gift was given to me in 1982 by a lady by the name of Joan Ellis. Now I tell you it is a gift I have never personally used, but it is more precious to me than any other gift I have ever received. I have never worn it, I never even put it on but it means more to me than all of the toys and tools, sweaters and suits I have ever received. I’m not going to tell you what it is just yet, but I will tell you it means so much to me because it is a gift I was given to give. It was a gift of love.
The greatest of all gifts are gifts of love.
All gifts of love are gifts from God. As we consider Christmas, let’s consider the precious gifts of love that God has to all people. There are many other gifts that He has given, but I want us tonight to focus on the specific gifts God has given to everyone.
The Bible proclaims in James 1:17-18
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
(NIV)
So what are some of the perfect gifts that God has given to all people?
1. The Gift of Creation
· God has given us creation first of all to meet our needs and for our enjoyment.
The universe and earth in particular is perfectly designed to meet our needs. God has no needs and therefore, God’s creation of oxygen in the right proportions, water, heat, plants, trees from which we make shelter, are given as our provision and for our enjoyment.
His incredible universe was given for us to enjoy. When we see the beauties of nature it should cause us to rejoice and be thankful to God.
· God gave us dominion over His earth because it is our temporary dwelling place.
Gen 1:26
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
(NIV)
God has entrusted the care of the earth into our hands. He has given us stewardship of His creation. We need to be careful how we rule over the earth, and to use in accordance with His plan and purposes. We do not own the earth but we have been entrusted with its care.
· Creation also reminds of our temporary dwelling place.
Having said that, we need to also keep in mind that it is our temporary dwelling place. Part of God’s purpose in giving us creation was to also point us to what is permanent and eternal. As wonderful as God’s gift of creation is, this world alone can never meet our deepest and greatest needs.
Jonathon Edwards said it so well…
“ The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here… These are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the ocean.”
The Bible proclaims
· God has given us creation as a witness to Himself.
Job 12:7-10
7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
(NIV)
The creation itself proclaims that God is and that we are dependent upon Him.
· God has given us creation because it proclaims His glory.
Ps 19:1-4
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (NIV)
Speaking of the Son of God Jesus Christ, Paul said in Colossians 1:15-17
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
The universe exists for God’s pleasure and our provision. So the first of God’s great gifts is creation.
2. The Gift of Life
Gen 1:26-27
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (NIV)
Gen 2:7
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
(NIV)
God has given each of us the gift of life. God has designed each of us as a unique individual, whose life has a distinct purpose.
Ps 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
(NIV)
God is greatly concerned about every aspect of our lives. He has not just wound us up like a top to let us run out our days, He is intimately involved in every detail of our lives.
Luke 12:7
7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (NIV)
Now there are many more gifts that God has given us that we could spend time exploring. For the person who has a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ the list could be exhaustive. We have great reason to give thanks to God for His indescribable gifts.
In the Passover Celebration there is a particular part of the Seder that revolves around the Hebrew word “Dayenu.” Dayenu means – It would have been sufficient. Listen to this passage from a Passover Haggadah.
How great is God’s goodness to us! For each of His acts of mercy and kindness we declare Dayenu It would have been sufficient.
If the Lord had merely rescued us, but had not judged the Egyptians. – Dayenu
If He had only destroyed their gods, but had not parted the Red Sea – Dayenu
If He had only drowned our enemies, but had not fed us with manna – Dayenu
If He had only led us through the desert, but had not given us the Sabbath – Dayenu
If He had only give us the Torah (Law) but not the land of Israel – Dayenu
But the Holy One, blessed be He, provided all of these blessings for our ancestors. And not these only but so many more.
The Jewish people throughout the centuries have celebrated the gracious gifts of God. Interwoven into the Passover Seder is a recognition that all of us have great cause to thank God for His indescribable gifts.
If God had only given us the gifts of creation and life, it would have been sufficient for us to praise Him with all of our being, but God has given us so much more.
For you see there was a problem. God gave us Creation and Life, but then sin entered the world and brought death. God created man in a perfect state. He created us to have an ongoing personal relationship with Him. But God is holy and righteous and His righteousness will not permit fellowship with sin. All of us are sinners. Now to some that may seem a harsh statement. We may consider ourselves to be a good person, certainly better than many others. But lets look at it from God’s legal viewpoint. God’s righteousness requires perfection.
He created a perfect world, and He gave mankind the freedom to choose between good and evil. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s command and hence sin entered the world. All of us have been born with a sinful nature as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. In addition, none of us live a perfect life, which is what God’s righteousness, demands.
Therefore God himself had a choice. He could destroy man or He could create a way so that His righteous laws could be fulfilled, the penalty of death could be accomplished and mankind could once again have a relationship with Him. God’s perfect plan was to make a way to restore men and women to perfect state. But in doing so He could not simply ignore our sin, and be true His own righteous nature. Sin demanded death, and the price had to be paid, or all of mankind was doomed to eternal death and separation from God.
Unspeakable Gift Illustration
Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to understand their hardships and difficulties. Often he dressed himself in the clothes of the working class or a beggar and went to the homes of the poor to better understand their plight. No one that he visited thought that he was in fact the King.
One time the King visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. The he left. Later he visited the poor man again a disclosed his true identity by saying, “I am your king!” The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift, boon or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “you left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the coarse food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!
The King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me. The bible proclaims Him “The Unspeakable Gift.”
God’s greatest Gift is that He chose to pay the price Himself for our sin.
3. The Gift of Love, God gave Himself
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.
John 3:16
These words warn us of the danger we are in without Jesus -- perishing. They hold out the wonderful hope of God’s design to rescue us from perishing -- his love that sent his Son.
This verse speaks of four things:
· The danger: perishing – without embracing God’s provision we will perish.
· The design: love – God’s greatest gift to us is His immeasurable love.
· The duty: believing – God’s gift is free but we must receive it through belief. We must acknowledge our imperfection, recognize that we can never be good enough on our own to meet God’s righteous standards, and embrace for ourselves God’s perfect provision of His Son Jesus as our savior.
· The destiny: life – When we believe we have the promise of abundant life both now and for eternity.
How fitting it is that on Christmas Eve we focus on eternal life. In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I came (that’s Christmas) that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly" -- have it in fullness and have it forever. So eternal life is Christ’s aim at Christmas.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He came for the express purpose of dying on a cross. We cannot separate the tender babe in a manger, from the suffering Son of God who poured out His life for us at Calvary. They are perfectly linked by the love of God, as manifest in His Son Jesus Christ.
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.
John 3:16
Reflect for a moment on those words…
How dear did God hold the world? How dear does He hold you and me? How dear? So dear that He gave His only begotten Son for every one in the world who will trust in Him. And how did He give? He gave Him, in His birth as man, in order to be forever one with us.
He gave Him, in His death on the cross as a perfect substitute in order to take our sin and curse upon Himself. He gave Him on the throne of heaven, in order to arrange for our welfare, as our Representative and Intercessor over all the powers of heaven. He gave Him in the outpouring of the Spirit, in order to dwell in us, to be entirely and altogether our own.
Yes that is the love of God, that He gave His son to us, for us, in us!
God gave nothing less the His Son, Himself. This is the love of God; not that He gives us something, but that He gives us Some One, a living person, not one or another blessing, but Him in whom is all life and blessing Jesus Christ Himself. Not simply forgiveness, or revival, or sanctification, or glory does He give us, but Jesus, His own Son. And it is the will of the Father that we should have Jesus as our, even as He the Father has Him.
Jesus in His agonizing prayer on the eve of His crucifixion prayed this for us.
John 17:20-24
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Jesus came to reconcile us to God, and to bring into union with Him. For this end God the Father gave us Jesus. The whole of salvation consists in this; to have, to possess, to enjoy Jesus, God has given His Son Given Him wholly to become ours.
The Great Love Gift of God is this. This is Christmas. God gives us His Son, and in Him we have all.
God’s Greatest Gift, His Son is perfect.
A. The Timing of God’s Gift is Perfect.
Jesus was born among God’s chosen people Israel, at the perfect time. Jesus life fulfilled over three hundred prophecies. Many of these pointed directly to the timing and conditions of His birth.
Jesus was born at the perfect time. There was a time when the nation of Israel enjoyed peace and freedom, but Jesus was born when the nation was in slavery to the Roman Empire. He was born at the time when, in witness of his slavery, there was proclamation of a tax, and everyone was required t appear at his city of birth to submit to the will of the Empire. Therefore even in the circumstances of his birth, he not only took on himself the form of a man, but the form of a servant.
Phil 2:5-9
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
(NIV)
And why did God choose this perfect time, a time of slavery for His Son to be born? Because we have become slaves to sin and our souls are under the most cruel bondage.
B. The Humility of God’s Gift was perfect.
There were indeed notable flashes of God’s glory attending Jesus birth, by which God testified that he was the promised Messiah. There was the glorious star that appeared around the time of His birth, which appeared as a signal to the world that the Sun of righteousness was about to rise. The coming of the Wise Me from the East upon the invitation of the Star to visit, worship and give honor to Jesus was another. Also there was the stately appearance of a heavenly host of angels to company of poor shepherds, proclaiming as heralds his birth and singing a glorious anthem.
But His birth itself was accompanied by an awe-inspiring humility, as He lowered Himself through it. Jesus was born for us, and so he was born in a condition appropriate to our need. He showed in His birth what sin had made us. There are a few parallels we should examine in the humility of Jesus Birth.
1. He, who was without sin, was born under a sentence of condemnation. As soon as He had put on our nature He stood under the doom of the Law. He was born to die. We are all children of wrath in our natural state and He put himself in our place, and therefore came to fulfill the full penalty of the Law in our stead. He never would have been born, if it were not intended to be made a sacrifice, and Jesus lived in view of that sacrifice all the days of His earthly life.
2. The place and condition of His birth reflect the condition of mankind’s heart.
Luke 2:7
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NIV)
· He who was the Bread of Life was laid in a feeding trough full of straw. Like straw, which has no nutrients, mankind had exhausted all its efforts to nurture itself. He is our sustenance.
· He who was the righteous King was wrapped not in royal robes but rags. Those rags which welcomed and warmed Him give due comparison to the filthy rags of our own efforts for righteousness apart from Him.
· He, who was the heir of heaven, was born in poverty to meet the spiritual poverty of our hearts. Our souls have been impoverished by sin. He became nothing, and nothing is all we have to offer Him.
· There was no room for Him in the Inn, because mankind had shut God out of their hearts in every way imaginable.
· He was born and lived homeless throughout His ministry to demonstrate to us that this earth is not our home. Through Him we have a better possession. Through Him we have heaven, and will dwell in His presence.
· Instead of palace the King of Kings was born in a stable. Instead of servants to wait on Him, beasts attended His birth. Instead of a royal proclamation that brought the masses to honor his birth, lowly shepherds heralded him.
We need to learn from this how low sin had laid us, and how much Christ has loved us. When we consider what Christ made himself, is shows us what we had made of ourselves by sin.
Listen to the words of Samuel Willard written in 1696.
“Let me invite you all to come to the birth of your Savior; see the King of Glory, veiled in obscurity and entering into the world under a cloud. He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth entering into his dominion, in the lowest and most obscure situation imaginable. He who made Heaven and Earth, not accommodated with so much as a house to be born in, but to be tuned out among the beasts.
And why? Our sins procured it; we lost our right to all, we deserved poverty and misery, we deserved to be turned out of house and home. We were under this curse. The Son of God was a great king; he could have commanded the entire world, and with a word built a stately palace, and furnished it in magnificence for himself. But how would he be our redeemer then? It was “for our sake he became poor,” He was born for us,” It was for this reason he was born. Let this stable and manger make him exceedingly precious to us.”
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 9:8).
While He lived in heaven the Lord Jesus Christ was rich. He had everything that belonged to Him as God the Son. He reigned in majesty supreme in heaven. He was the owner of all things. He was full of joy and perfectly satisfied.
When He became a man he laid aside all His wealth. He spent His first night in a smelly place with the cattle. He grew up in a carpenter’s home. When He became an adult He said, "The foxes have holes and the birds have their nests but the Son of man has no place to lay His head." When He paid the temple tax He sent Peter to catch a fish, which had a coin in his mouth worth enough to pay it. When died He had no earthly possessions but the clothes He wore. The ultimate poverty was His death between two criminals.
He became poor and despised that He might forgive our sins and share with us His own wealth of spirit and His position of favor and power at the Father’s right hand. So we are rich. God has given us everything we need to share His abundant life here and to prepare for life in heaven for all eternity.
The Eloquent Monk - Illustration
There is an ancient story of a medieval monk that was renown for his oratory skills. Word began to spread that the monk was coming to town to deliver a powerful message on the Love of God. As the day of his coming approached, the town was filled with excitement to hear this eloquent speaker. On Sunday evening the church was packed, there was great anticipation for what was to come.
As the shadows of night began to fall the monk stepped to the pulpit to deliver his sermon. Before he began however he turned to gaze at the crucifix on the wall behind the pulpit. He paused for a long time. Then he stepped to the altar and took a candle and lit it. He held the candle first to illuminate the crown of thorns on the head of the image of Jesus on the cross. Then he hold the candle to the nail scarred hands, and then the feet. Lastly he held the candle to illuminate the spear pierced side of the savior. As he walked back to the pulpit a holy hush fell on the gathered crowd.
The monk set the candle on the pulpit, blew it out and quietly left the church.
Having never said a word.
You see there were no words that could compare to the eloquent expression of love, that God expressed through the giving of His Son on the cross.
"Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
C. Our Gift To Him
I told the children that these boxes contain the gift that we can give to Jesus in celebration of His birthday. God has given all us exceedingly great and gracious gifts. But what do we have to give to Him.
THE BOXES
These boxes are empty except for one thing, a mirror. When we look inside we each see the only gift we can give back to God, ourselves. That is what Jesus desires for Christmas. He wants us to give our lives over to His control. To trust Him with all of our being. That is our Gift to Him.
Isn’t it appropriate that since God gave Himself to us, we should likewise give ourselves to Him!
THE RING
I told you earlier that my favorite Christmas present was given to me be a lady named Joan Ellis in 1982. Joan is now my mother in law. The gift that she gave me is a wedding ring. It was the set that her husband had given her on their engagement. Her husband Don died in 1978, and she graciously gave me her wedding set.
She gave it to me with the understanding that I would in turn give it to her daughter, Rebecca. It was a gift given to me to give.
She gave it to me freely, and whereas it had an intended purpose, I was free to use it as I wished. I could have sold the diamonds and melted down the platinum, and used the money from the rings on myself.
I was free to take the ring and give it to someone else other than Rebecca. It was mine; I was free to do with it as I chose.
I chose to use it for the purpose for which it was given. 19 years ago tonight, I gave this ring to Rebecca and asked her to be my wife. I have never regretted that decision. That ring offered promise. It represented a life of joy and fulfillment with my bride. What that ring promised has been fulfilled a thousand times over and in ways I could have never of dreamed of.
Like this ring, God has given us a gift for which He has a designed and intended purpose. That gift is our lives. His intent is that our lives be eternally wed to His Son, Jesus Christ. Believers in Jesus are called the Bride of Christ, and we eagerly await His return so that we may be with Him forever.
But God gives us the freedom to use our lives as we choose. Much like this ring, we can take its value and spend it on our selves. We can pursue a life of pleasure and selfishness.
If we like we can take and give it to another. We can pursue other gods, other religions and try to find the fulfillment and satisfaction that God created for us, but we will never be satisfied.
Or we can give our lives to Jesus. We can become wed to Him for all eternity. The choice is ours to make. God has reserved His greatest gift, Himself to those who will believe on Him and trust Him as Lord, and Savior of our lives.
What will you choose?
Will you spend the worth of your lives on your self?
Will give your life away to other gods?
Or will you give the gift our your life back to Jesus?
What will you do with the gift God has given you?
I told you I have never regretted giving this ring to my wife Rebecca. She has filled my life with inexpressible joy and love. Likewise, I have never regretted giving my life to God. He has proved himself completely faithful.
Bow your heads with me and let us pray. Perhaps this Christmas Eve you come to realize that you have never really given your life to Jesus Christ. What better time to give it than Christmas Eve. Are you willing to do that now? The bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved. Giving your life to Jesus is easy. It is an act of the heart and of the will.
If you are willing right now to give your life to Jesus, and receive the gift of salvation and eternal life that He offers would you pray with me right now. You can do it silently right where you are. There is no great magic in the words; God is listening for the intent of the heart.
SALVATION PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for coming to earth to live and to die in my place so that I may be right with God. I know that on my own I can never be perfect. I can’t even come close. Thank you for taking my place and paying the price for my sin. I confess that you Jesus Christ are Lord. And I believe that God the Father has raised you from the dead. I invite you into my life and I give my life to you.
In Jesus name, Amen.
With you heads still bowed, no one looking, if you prayed that prayer with me would you slip up your hand.
Many of us here have already given our lives to Jesus, but perhaps, tonight you’ve realized that you tried to take the gift back. You put your self in control rather than allow Jesus to full reign in your life. I invite you to confess that, and give afresh your life to Jesus Christ this Christmas Eve.
CLOSING PRAYER
Let’s pray.
O my Lord Jesus, today anew and every day, I take You as my Lord, in all your fullness in all my relationship, without ceasing I take You for myself. You who are my Wisdom, My Light, my Leader, my Priest and my King. This night I give my life back to you afresh, do with me as You see fit. Thank Lord for giving your Son, thank you for Christmas, thank you for the cross on which my Savior died. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Merry Christmas.
