Love
Well, Christmas is only 4 days away. All of you procrastinators had better get going because, you know that the local 7-11 only has so many of those “World’s Greatest Mom” mugs, Lovin’ Spoonful greatest hits cassettes and those beverage helmets where you can place a can on each side with a straw down to your mouth.
Christmas shopping can be fun. Especially if you don’t wait till the last minute. But it can be difficult, as well. Choosing the right gift to express your love for the recipient can make it very difficult. You want to make sure that the person you’re giving the gift to knows exactly how much you love them.
Did you hear about the guy that bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas? A friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those sporty 4-Wheel drive vehicles." "She did," he replied. "But where am I gonna find a fake Jeep?" Can you feel the love here?
Let me ask you, “What was the most expensive gift you ever received for Christmas? What was the most expensive gift you ever gave?” Most of us go too far into debt buying gifts we can’t afford to give to people we really don’t like all that much anyway.
We assign different value to the people in our lives. For most of us, our spouses, children and grandchildren will receive the most valuable of our Christmas gifts and from there we use an imaginary sliding scale of lesser and lesser value.
I remember, maybe you do to, about a time when I was sent into one of those “Dollar Stores” to purchase some white elephant gifts. Now at the time I had no idea what a white elephant gift was so I spent time actually looking for white elephants.
But we often give white elephant gifts to those farther down on our Christmas list. You know what I’m talking about, fluorescent socks, coffee mugs honoring the inventor of Velcro, or anything from Ronco.
Teachers, I’m sure you get some very nice gifts from your students, but tell me, how many do you get each year that have some sort of apple or school motif? Yes, it is the thought that counts but sometimes you can tell there isn’t much thought put into it.
Since it is only 4 days till Christmas, we’re here in a church, and we call ourselves Christians, let’s make sure we understand one thing.
Christmas is a “God thing.” It was his idea. He planned the whole thing out himself. Looking at our culture one might think that Christmas was a joint marketing ploy put upon the public by the manufacturing industry and the retailers. One day some perfume people got together with the electric razor people and voila – Christmas! But, no, Christmas actually began in the heart of God.
Christmas is about God’s gift. God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. He sent Jesus to save us from ourselves. He sent Jesus to save us from Satan. He sent Jesus to save us from Hell. Now let me tell you, that’s no white elephant gift!
Let’s look at some of His Gifts. What are some of God’s gifts to us through His Son, Jesus?
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
James 4:6 – “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
So SOME of the gifts we are given are eternal life, grace, and wisdom. In the past 3 weeks we’ve looked at God’s gifts of hope, peace, and joy. Today I want to tell you about another gift. Do you know what it is?
Let me give you some clues: It is by far the strongest force in the universe. It is higher than the highest mountain. It is deeper than the deepest sea. Better than a $500 gift certificate. Better than a box of chocolates and a dozen red roses.
Better than new power tools, a big screen TV, and a remote car starter. Better than a hot bath with candles and a good book. Better than losing 30 pounds. Better than spending the winter somewhere in the sunny southern US.
It’s better than a baby that sleeps all night, toddlers who don’t whine, and teenagers who are appreciative. Better than a spouse who appreciates how hard you work. It’s better than grandkids who visit often and always give you a hug and kiss even when they’re 16. It’s even better than this stack of letters I received from you this spring at the Great Banquet.
Do you know what “IT” is yet? Here’s another hint: “For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 says that the reason God sent His Son to die for you and me was because He LOVED us. How do you explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well the best way I know is this: "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."
A few years ago a survey was done in which people were asked one question. What 3 word sentence would you most like to hear or have said to you ? The top three answers pretty much sum up the needs of all of mankind. 1. I love you.....2. I forgive you.......3. Supper is ready. Pretty much covers it, I think. We need to be loved, forgiven, and we need provision. God meets every one of these needs. In fact he meets all of these needs because of one primary thing, and that is that He LOVES us.
If God were suddenly to show up right now, and sit down next to you, turn towards you, look straight into your eyes – do you know what He would say? I don’t know everything He would say, but I do have a pretty good idea of what He would say first. “My precious child – I love you.” How do I know this?
Because this is the message God has been trying to get through to us from the very beginning:
In the Garden of Eden, He said it through the beauty of creation. By walking with Adam and Eve. By meeting their needs even after they sinned. In the flood, He said it through the Ark. In the bad times of the Old Testament, He said it by disciplining the Israelites in the hope that they would learn the best way – the way of obedience
He said it in the manger. “I love you. Here is the gift of my Son.” He said it on the cross. “I love you. Here is the life of my Son, given for you.” He said it through the resurrection. “I love you. The penalty for sin is now paid; we can be family once more.”
He said it the first time you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. “I love you. I forgive you. I welcome you into my family.” He says it each time you ask for forgiveness. “I love you. I forgive you.” He wants to say it to you again today.
"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."
John 3:16 has been called the greatest verse in the Bible. It’s learned in Vacation Bible School, it’s often quoted in sermons, and it’s hung over guard rails in football stadiums. I even heard of a man who changed his name legally to John Threesixteen.
A pastor visited an elderly couple for dinner. During dinner the husband always talked sweetly to his wife. Each time, he addressed her as “Sweetheart, please pass the butter.” Or “Honey, will you get some more coffee?” “Thank you love of my life.”
When the wife went to the kitchen, the Pastor said to the husband, “Bob, it’s wonderful that after more than fifty years of marriage you are still calling your wife by all those wonderful endearing names – love, sweetheart, dear. Said the husband, “Well, preacher, actually about ten years ago I forgot her name…can you help out me here?”
The point here is that God knew us, and knows us; and he has forgotten nothing about us. He knows what dirty, rotten, low-down, lousy sinners we are, yet he loves us so much that He still went to the cross for us.
Christmas is a “God thing”. God was the first to present a gift on Christmas, and that gift was Jesus Christ. God had a reason and a purpose for the gift of Christ. We give gifts to make others feel good. God gave His gift to change the lives and the final destination of the billions of people. God gave us this gift because He LOVES us.
Whether you are really excited about Christmas, or really struggling with Christmas, God wants you to know that it is really all about one simple thing. It is about His love for us. The Christ Child, wrapped in blankets and lying in the manger, is God saying, “I love you.”
A gift must be received to be enjoyed. You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift. So if you have never accepted this gift of love, I’m asking you to do so now. It’s the best gift you’ll ever receive.
"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."
