The Four Greatest Gifts of Christmas!

A True Christmas List

Luke 1:68-75

 

I.      Introduction (James 1:17)

 

  1. Don’t you love Christmas? The music, weather, the tree, lights, the gifts!
  2. In Luke 1, Zacharias has been unable to speak for nine months because of his unbelief in what God could do - he had been promised a son named John the Baptist - and yet did not believe that God could do it for him because he and his wife Elisabeth were pretty old. Well, when John was born, boy did his daddy make up for lost time! He gets to talking about what God was doing right in their midst - he was excited! For Him, Christmas, the promised birth of the Messiah, had already started! And he had already opened four of the greatest gifts ever given to mankind, and was enjoying them early!
  3. Let’s look at those four Christmas gifts, and make sure that every person in this room has them - they are not for the rich and famous, and the elite, but for all!

 

II.    Message - The Four Greatest Gifts of Christmas! (Luke 1:68-75)

 

  1. The Gift of God Himself  (1:68,69) - Face to face encounter with God (1Jn 1:1,2). A lot of people would love a visit from Santa (Santa, please stop here), or a visit from Mrs. Mary McAlease, or a visit from Mr. Bill Clinton…

 

1.        But, as far as Zacharias was concerned, GOD was coming for a visit! Christmas is all about GOD coming

 

a.       Not SANTA, or extra lottery bonus’, or parties, or elves, or drink

b.       He was not looking for a “blessing” or money, or wrapped presents

 

2.        Zacharias was excited because GOD HIMSELF would soon be right here among us (Mt 1:21)! What a great gift when someone is there! Personal!

 

a.       Most wives just want their husbands home, not more money

b.       Most children just want a Mom and a Dad, not video games, or bikes

c.       True Christians want GOD, not what God has to offer (Ps 63:1)

d.       When I got saved, I got CHRIST, not religion (1Jn 5:11,12; Gal 2:20)!

e.       When I pray, I have an audience with GOD (Heb 4:16), not Peter, Paul, or Mary! I have been given the gift of God Himself in my life!

 

3.        If you are saved, THE gift that you have, that is beyond your imagination is that GOD HIMSELF dwells within your heart (Eph 3:17) - you couldn’t ask for a better gift than knowing and loving the Creator of this universe!

4.        If you are NOT saved, realise that God offers you HIMSELF, not a cheap substitute - He wants you to have HIM (ie, a marriage proposal) - let me tell you, He says over and over is this Book, He’ll take you just as you are!

 


  1. The Gift of God’s Word (1:70) - the Foundation of our confidence

 

1.        “When the world began” goes back not billions and billions of years, but back in the literal Garden of Eden when God promised Adam and Eve that from them would come the Saviour who would defeat the wrongs of Satan - God made a promise, and was keeping it! Zacharias now knew that! God’s word was faithful, and trustworthy!

 

a.       Micah 5:2  (Where Messiah would be born)

b.       Isa 7:14 (How He would be born)

c.       Isa 9:6 (Why He would come)

 

2.        I assure you Zacharias never read his Bible the same after that day! Why?

 

a.       That Book is unbeatable! It really is true, from cover to cover! No more doubts, no more “holes” that had to be over-looked!

b.       Start reading it and you will find that over 300 prophecies were spoken about Jesus over 600 years prior to His birth (some over 4000 years earlier), and they ALL came true, spot on! 33 were fulfilled the day of His death! Nobody could have planned it, acted it, faked it!

 

3.        God GAVE us a supernatural gift - His word (Jn 17:8,17) - made it available to every sinner - you hold in your hand one of the FOUR greatest Christmas gifts ever given! Don’t neglect it! Read, study, use, live, enjoy it

 

  1. The Gift of God’s Desire (1:71-73) - the Forgiveness of Sins - THERE IS NO GREATER REASON FOR CHRISTMAS (1 Ti 1:15; 2 Cor 9:15; Jn 3:16)!

 

1.        God’s desire is to free us from the dominion of our enemies (Eph 6:12). Forget about all the normal enemies you have - you need to be free from:

 

a.       Sin - maybe not thievery, but what about lust, drink, pride, bitterness

b.       Satan - Satan controls people like a puppet-master - and he hates us!

c.       Self - our worst enemy is our self sometimes! We need to be free

 

2.        Notice God’s mercy, covenant (promise He made a long time ago), His oath (He swore He would do something about our enemies)! Notice His longing and desire: to give us sinners eternal life (Eph 2:8; Rom 6:23)

 

a.       If heaven is really real, why would we think it so incredible for people to be going stark raving mad trying to get people IN there!

b.       If hell is really real, why would we think it so incredible for people to be going stark raving mad trying to keep people OUT OF there!

c.       God does not want/desire anyone to go to hell! It was made for whom?

 


  1. The Gift of God’s Glory (1:74,75) - the Freedom to Serve - the gift of giving back to God GLORY, HONOUR, PRAISE (Ps 103:1)!

 

1.        When a person is made free from sin and Satan and self, they are actually choosing to surrender to God’s control, God’s authority in their life again - “they have been made free to serve Him, not to be served BY Him”

 

a.       Nobody is ever truly free - either serving SIN (deadly), SELF (stupid), or SATAN (deadly), or serving the Lord God Almighty! No middle

b.       Your God is what you worship! Whether it is your money, work, car, abilities, friends, feelings (whether comfortable or not)

 

2.        God saves a person TO SERVE HIM - may be news to you, but that is part of the Gospel (Rom 6:20-22) - God adopted you into His family to work!

 

a.       Without fear - not because we are afraid any more, but we are in love

b.       In holiness and righteousness - a clean life - it is no longer your own (1 Cor 6:19,20) - work at it, struggle, and endure hardness to serve!

c.       All our days - not just on Sundays, or on the good days, but everyday!

 

III.   Conclusion - The Four Greatest Gifts of Christmas - Do you have them?

 

  1. The Gift of God Himself  - Face to face encounter with God. A lot of people would love a visit from Santa (Santa, please stop here), or a visit from Mrs. Mary McAlease, or a visit from Mr. Bill Clinton…

 

1.        If you are saved, THE gift that you have is that GOD HIMSELF dwells within your heart!

2.        If you are NOT saved, realise that God offers you HIMSELF, not a cheap substitute - He wants you to have HIM (ie, a marriage proposal) - let me tell you, He says over and over is this Book, He’ll take you just as you are!

3.        Somebody says, “I have religion” a Christian can respond, “I have Christ!”

 

  1. The Gift of God’s Word  - the Foundation of our confidence. God GAVE us a supernatural gift - His word - made it available to every sinner - you hold in your hand one of the FOUR greatest Christmas gifts ever given! Don’t neglect it! Read, study, use, live, enjoy it - Do you have this Book? Do you have it in your life, or just collecting dust? Great shame and slap
  2. The Gift of God’s Desire - the Forgiveness of Sins - THERE IS NO GREATER REASON FOR CHRISTMAS! Are you born again? God showed us over and over that He loves sinners, and that He died on the cross for our sins! Let Him give you the gift of eternal life! CHRISTIAN - how close are you to Christ today? Let the blood of Christ wash every sin away - He has nothing to gain by letting you carry on in sin!
  3. The Gift of God’s Glory - the Freedom to Serve - the gift of giving back to God GLORY, HONOUR, PRAISE! Who owns YOU? If you gave Christ your whole life the day you got saved, make sure you don’t start taking it back - a gift is a gift, not a loan! Thank God, or all His gifts would be on loan!