The Best Gift

INTRODUCTION

„X SLIDE #1

„X Tomorrow morning there will be children waking up at 5:00 a.m., there will be paper flying all around the living room. People will be jumping up and down with excitement over their new gifts.

„X It will be a fun time.

„X I want you to take a moment to think about the best gift you ever received for Christmas.

„X Think of the joy you felt over receiving the gift you had your heart set on. What a great feeling.

„X Now, I want you to think about that wonderful gift you received again. How long did it bring you that same joy? How long was it before you set it aside and no longer play with it?

„X What do you hope to get for Christmas?

„X Today we are going to take a look at the best gift.

„X This gift was spoken of over 700 years before it came through the prophet Isaiah.

„X There was a lot of turmoil going on in the nation during the time that Isaiah spoke of the coming gift. It would be a gift that would change everything!

„X This gift is the real reason we can celebrate the season. Tomorrow is not a ¡§happy holiday¡¨ day, it is Christmas. Even with all the commercialism that has clouded the true meaning of the season, let us examine the best gift we can receive so that we can appreciate the Christmas holiday.

„X SLIDE #2

„X Isaiah 9:6 - 7 (NASB) 6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

„X Let us look at the best gift we can receive!

„X SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. THE GIFT WAS GIVEN TO US.

„X One thing that makes a gift great is the fact that it is given to us. When someone gives us something, it usually makes the gift special to us.

„X When we look at Isaiah 9:6, we see some things in reference to the gift.

„X SLIDE #4

1. The gift was born to us.

„X This gift is special because the gift was designed for each one of us; it was specially made for us.

„X When the Angels announced the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:11 we have the same language that is used in the Isaiah passage.

„X SLIDE #5

„X Luke 2:11 (NASB) 11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

„X SLIDE #6

2. The gift was meant to be given to us.

„X There are a lot of gifts that are not meant to be shared, but this gift is to be shared by all.

„X Jesus is a gift that we are to try to give to everyone.

„X Too many people try to earn what God wants to give to you through the gift of His Son Jesus.

„X Have you ever accidentally opened a gift meant for another? With Jesus, that will never happen because the gift of Jesus was meant to be given to all.

„X How many of us would reject a gift from someone who loves us? Sometimes we are embarrassed or feel bad that someone we love spent so much to get us a gift.

„X God loves you more than you can ever know, He wants you to have the gift of Jesus.

„X Some would say that Christmas is not about giving and receiving gifts, well, it really is about gifts, just not IPODS and flat-screen televisions. It is about God giving us the gift of His Son.

„X SLIDE #7

3. This gift is the most personal gifts we can receive.

„X Do you know that the gift of Jesus is the most personal gift you will ever receive?

„X I believe most people (females) like to receive a gift that is personal, a gift where the giver put some thought into getting the gift.

„X Nothing like getting a pair of socks for Christmas.

„X When this gift of God¡¦s Son was given to us, God had YOU on His mind the whole time.

„X COMMERCIAL ABOUT BIRTHDAY CARDS AT CONVENIENCE STORE.

„X SLIDE #8

II. THE GIFT HAS SPECIAL FUNCTIONS.

„X Have you ever received a gift and you wondered what its function was?

„X Have you ever got one of those fantastic infomercial gifts that more or less did nothing?