Eight
Christmas Gifts to GET This Christmas!
James 1:17
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
14 Dec, 2008 AM
I.
Introduction
(James 1:17)
A.
Everyone worries about what to
give at Christmas. They shop, and plan, and compare, and scan thousands of
pages of catalogues and websites, all in search of something unique and
beneficial for someone special.
1.
Many end up frustrated, just
grabbing whatever they can find: a tie, some slippers, foot powder, and some
gloves.
2.
Either that, or people end up
spending a fortune on expensive gifts that cost the next six months to pay
off!
B.
Gift-giving is really enjoyable.
At least it is supposed to be. But in our perfectionist world, where each
year’s gifts have to surpass last year’s gift, the hassle and stress of
shopping robs almost everyone of the simple joy of giving that people
remember most about in their childhood!
1.
Simple things like fresh baked
cakes and sweets.
2.
Simple things like Grandma and
Grandpa arriving for a week!
3.
Simple things like setting up the
Christmas tree and decorating it as a family!
4.
Simple things like Mom and Dad
hugging and kissing and laughing in the kitchen!
5.
Simple things like us kids
sneaking out of bed late Christmas eve to see what was going on downstairs.
6.
Simple things like having all
your brothers and sisters home, and squished into every available mattress.
7.
Simple things like getting one
gift, that was fun – like a bicycle, or a scooter, or a telescope, or a
puppy.
8.
Simple gifts.
C.
The really good gifts are simple
gifts. We kind of miss them with all the hype and pressure of our modern
society.
D.
I want to talk to you about
“Christmas Gifts” this morning. Not what you should go out and buy, but what
you should GET this Christmas.
E.
What is amazing is, that each of
the following gifts are priceless, and yet cannot be bought. They are all,
completely, and absolutely free! God already paid for them, and offers them
to absolutely everyone on this depressing planet of ours!
F.
You see, God loves giving!
1.
The thought of
giving is strong in the
Scriptures.
2.
The words "give," "giving,"
"gift" and other such words occur at least 2,100 times!
G.
God only gives GOOD gifts
1.
Good gifts – the best gifts, come
from God (James 1:17).
2.
Santa can’t compete with the
givingness of God!
3.
He can’t compete with the
resources of God.
4.
He can’t compete with the
accessibility of God. Santa’s only available one day a year huh?
5.
God was the first Giver, and He
has the most joy in giving!
H.
We humans are often wrongly
motivated, and limited in our ability to give, so most of the world knows
nothing but disappointment at Christmas.
I.
There are actually eight times
when the phrase "gift of God" occurs in the Bible.
J.
Let me introduce you to the eight
gifts that God mentions in the Bible that can be gotten anytime, anywhere,
by absolutely anybody!
K.
As a matter of fact, these are
the gifts that YOU NEED even if you get nothing else this Christmas!
II.
Message
A.
The Gift of
Enjoyment
– whatever God has given to you, God offers to you the gift of JOY to enjoy
life (Eccl 3:13; 5:19; 1Timothy 6:17)
1.
"That every man should eat and
drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God"
(Ecclesiastes 3:13).
2.
"Every man also to whom God hath
given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to
take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God"
(Ecclesiastes 5:19).
3.
God gives us all things richly to
enjoy. But do you enjoy life? Do you enjoy the things God gives you?
a)
He blesses us sometimes with
wealth and riches – amen!
b)
He sometimes blesses us with a
house full of kids, and bills, and busy-ness! Amen and amen!
4.
But no matter what you have, God
offers us the GIFT of enjoyment that will make even the simplest of life’s
seem like the life of a king!
5.
We need the ability to enjoy
God’s gifts!
a)
God is the author of joy
b)
And then He offers us the JOY to
enjoy those things with!
c)
The angels announced JOY at
Christmas (Luke 2:10).
d)
Do you have the gift of JOY this
Christmas season? Or are you a complainer? Shame on you!
e)
Do you enjoy life? God meant for
you to!
f)
Let no one, therefore, take
personal pride in his own abilities or his possessions! They are, in the
deepest sense, gifts of God's grace. God gave you what you have. Period!
6.
One of the most missing gifts at
Christmas is the gift of enjoyment – strange kind of a gift, but one of the
most vital gifts!
a)
The ability to enjoy a house full
of children and family
b)
The ability to enjoy a bowl of
hot soup
c)
The ability to sit down and enjoy
just reading your Bible
d)
The ability to kneel down and
praise God, and cast all your care and worry upon Him, knowing that he cares
for you!
e)
The ability to enjoy cooking and
cleaning for a household of guests and family!
7.
It is there for you! If only you
would admit that you don’t have it, and that you desperately want it,
instead of just things!
8.
It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit
in your life!
B.
The Gift of
Christ Himself
(John 1:14; 4:10; 10:11)
1.
"Jesus
answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is
that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and
he would have given thee living water." (John 4:10).
2.
“I
am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
3.
Now we are talking about a GIFT!
a)
There is no greater gift than a
PERSON!
b)
You can give money, presents,
clothes, cars, computers, games, land, houses, jewellery – but none of it
compares to just having someone around!
c)
That’s why GOD the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us – because HE HIMSELF is THE gift of Christmas!
4.
Do you know why most of this
world will end up in a devil’s hell? Not because they are so wicked and evil
(which they are), but because they keep ignoring, and overlooking THE gift
of God’s Son
a)
Everyone wants eternal life
b)
Everyone wants heaven
c)
Everyone wants to be good
d)
But so few want the package that
all of that is wrapped up in (John 1:10-12; 1John 5:11-12)
5.
The “replacement” of Jesus…
Modern religion has replaced the very PERSON of Jesus Christ with statues,
icons, church buildings, ceremonies, vestments, altars, rituals, traditions,
mass, the wafer, Santa, Rudolf, shopping, dinners, debt, hassles, and
depression!
6.
Christianity is only about
receiving the very person of Jesus Christ, the living Son of God into a
sinful heart and being born again!
7.
Do you have Jesus Christ?
a)
I don’t care if you have a PhD,
or a Mansion. I don’t care if you have a BMW or a Space Shuttle. I don’t
care if you have a PC or a Mac. It doesn’t matter if you live 8 years or 80
years.
b)
Do you have Jesus Christ living,
and reigning in your heart (Eph 3:17-19)?
c)
All you have to do is call upon
that name above all names (Rom 10:13)
C.
The Gift of
Salvation from Hell’s Punishment
(Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 5:30,31)
1.
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians
2:8).
2.
“The
God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him
hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to
3.
When you got Jesus Christ IN you,
you got complete and full FORGIVENESS from all your sins!
a)
Can you believe it?
b)
THAT means that you no longer are
headed for hell!
4.
Hey! Hell is real! Not a state of
mind – it is NOT your life here on earth no matter what you think!
a)
There really is a devil’s hell,
and NONE of us are good enough to escape it!
b)
We ALL needed a SAVIOUR (Luke
2:11) “For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
c)
Jesus didn’t come to save us from
a recession, or a disaster, or loneliness, or a health problem. He came to
save us FROM our sins which were sending us to hell (Matthew 1:21)!
d)
Sin is that one problem we all
have that no one wants to talk about
e)
People will talk about every
other problem these days, except the sin problem
5.
Salvation, What a great gift!
a)
Forgiveness from sins
b)
Peace with God
c)
Snatched from the devil’s grip
d)
Freed from the bondage of sin
6.
I think that is a pretty good
gift to have this Christmas! Don’t you?
7.
The question is, DO YOU HAVE THAT
GIFT? Or are you still in bondage to some sin that Jesus Christ freed you
from?
a)
Sometimes you need to see what
you have in light of what you should have:
1)
We should be in hell
2)
We should be under the wrath of
Almighty God
3)
We should get the just reward for
our sins
b)
But Jesus Christ died on the
cross to take our place so we could go free – absolutely, completely and
forever free!
c)
That’s why the greatest question
to answer is ARE YOU SAVED? Saved from the devil’s hell?
d)
I can’t emphasize this too much!
e)
Someone may ask me, Why are you
so glad this Christmas? It’s because I am NOT headed for hell anymore!
f)
And it is not because I am better
than anyone – I just got the gift of forgiveness – the gift of Jesus Christ!
28 years ago! Never worn off!
D.
The Gift of
Eternal Life in Heaven
(Romans 6:23)
1.
That leads to the next thought.
2.
"For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
3.
Thousands of explorers in the
middle ages travelled the world over looking for the “fountain of youth” –
for something that would give people the ability to live forever.
4.
All they found were new diseases,
and deadly warfare.
5.
Jesus Christ brought a priceless
gift called “eternal life”
a)
He didn’t just save us from a
devil’s hell – he saved us TO a place called heaven!
b)
He uses two phrases to help us
understand what it means
1)
Eternal – never changes. Once you
get it, it never dims, or grows old
2)
Everlasting – it lasts for ever,
and ever, and ever – you cannot lose it!
6.
Do you have that kind of life?
a)
This body of flesh will die
b)
You may live to be 60, 70, 90,
100
c)
But you will die
7.
Jesus offers something that HE
HIMSELF says will enable anyone who believes, to NEVER die. “And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
(John 11:26) Not many do! But I DO!
8.
By the way, my eternal life began
the moment I was born again. I don’t have to wait for heaven to begin to
enjoy the gift of eternal life
a)
No more fear of death – just
going to be with Jesus
b)
No more fear of the devil – he
can’t follow me there
c)
No more depression for days on
end because it is only going to get better
d)
No more defeats because God is
able to make even my failures work out for good
9.
Hey! Every born again child of
God got the gift of eternal life the moment they received Jesus Christ
10.
BUT… Not many Believers enjoy the
gift like they should!
E.
The Gift of
the Holy Spirit
(John 14:16,17; Acts 8:18-20)
1.
“And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John
14:16,17)
2.
“And
when Simon saw that the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money... But
Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought
that the gift of God may be purchased with money!” (Acts
8:18-20).
3.
There is a lot of confusion about
this gift
4.
But it is very simple
a)
The Holy Spirit is HOW Jesus
exists in a believer – not physically like He did when He was living on this
earth 2,000 years ago
b)
The Holy Spirit is how a believer
thrives in this world – by the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit
5.
First of all, there is a new
voice in your heart, guiding, directing, convicting, comforting
a)
Romans 8:16
b)
1Kings 19:12 “a still, small
voice”
6.
Secondly, there is a great power
than can enable you, get you through every trial and heartache!
7.
Hey! What a great gift to get!
a)
No longer alone, and lost in life
b)
But guided by God’s Holy Spirit
through each day… IF WE WOULD ONLY STOP AND LISTEN AND OBEY!
8.
You got the gift of the Holy
Spirit the moment you believed, but you easily ignore Him, “quench” Him.
DON’T!
a)
This Christmas, take time to
listen as you read God’s word – the HOLY SPIRIT wrote every word by the way!
b)
Treasure that gift!
c)
The world is filled with unholy
and ungodly spirits!
d)
Seek to be filled with ONLY God’s
Spirit (Eph 5:18)!
F.
The Gift of
Individual Personal Abilities
(1Corinthians 7:7)
1.
"But
every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner, and another
after that" (1 Corinthians 7:7).
2.
You are designed by God Almighty,
with purpose and ability
a)
Maybe not like anyone else…
b)
But you have God-given gifts that
make you who you are
3.
They are more than just talents –
they are ways to bless other people. Talents are what you use to make a
living. Gifts are what you use to serve the Lord Jesus!
4.
The Gifts of Personal Abilities
includes:
a)
Telling the wonderful works of
God – preaching
b)
Being the most awesome server in
a group
c)
Faithfully teaching and training
children and especially adults how to live – not in a school room, or behind
a podium, but on a coach, or at a bedside, or at the kitchen-table!
d)
Encouraging people – always
lifting their spirits, and giving people hope and cheer
e)
Giving, and meeting people’s
needs – anonymously
f)
Managing problems and situations
so that other people can relax
g)
Just being kind, when people
should be getting a good kick!
5.
HEY! I just listed for you the
special abilities that are GIVEN to Christians by the Holy Spirit in Romans
12
6.
Quit wishing you had more talent,
and start developing the GIFT that God gave you when you got saved, and
start using it this Christmas!
G.
The Gift of
Christian Confidence
(2Timothy 1:6,7; Matthew 11:28; John 14:27)
1.
The moment a person gets born
again, they got some more gifts – they are all related to THE gift of Jesus
Christ, but they are related to HOW we live now – not fearfully, or timidly,
but full of confidence.
a)
"Wherefore I put thee in
remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the
putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:6,7).
b)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
c)
“Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
2.
What most Christians need is THIS
gift
a)
The ability to be at rest in
troubles
b)
The ability to praise God when
all seems lost
c)
The ability to give when there is
nothing more to give
d)
The ability to love the unlovely
e)
The ability to press on when the
flesh is weak
3.
Hey! This is a pretty important
gift!
4.
How often do you ask God for the
gift of…
a)
Rest?
b)
Peace – not just peace with God,
but the peace OF God (Philp 4:7)?
c)
A sound mind?
d)
Power and strength beyond what
you naturally have
e)
Love – real, strong, vibrant,
consistent love?
5.
They are available for the
asking!
H.
The Gift of
Rewards for a Life of Service
(Rev 22:12)
1.
The last mention of “giving” in
the Bible has to do with the rewards which Christ will give His faithful
servants at his return.
2.
"And,
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12).
3.
There are awards for living by
faith, for suffering as a believer, for doing things God’s way – The world
makes you pay, but God pays you back – 100 times the cost!
4.
These rewards, awards, are
presented to us at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2Cor 5:6-11)
a)
He will make up for whatever you
lost following Him
b)
He will restore then what the
locusts have eaten
c)
He will wipe away every tear
d)
He will lift up the heads of all
His children to look finally at His loving face
e)
He will walk with you and dwell
with you, forever
5.
They are summed up in FIVE
priceless crowns, along with the streets of gold, and the mansions, and the
throne of God, and the river of life!
6.
God certainly is the great Giver,
from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation!
7.
Instead of worrying what YOU have
to give this Christmas, make sure you GET some gifts… the gifts that GOD
offers!
III.
Conclusion
A.
Hey, most of the gifts we were
given as children have either rusted, or broken, or been lost – but not so
with the gifts of God!
B.
Since all of the gifts of God are
good and perfect, it is no surprise that they are eternal.
C.
The Apostle Paul says "For
the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans
11:29). Every one of these gifts of God will be ours to treasure throughout
eternity.
D.
Therefore, as we share once again
the joy of giving gifts to those we love, let us be sure to remember the
Father of lights is the greatest Giver of all!
1.
"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).
2.
"Thanks be unto God for His
unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15).
E.
You see, God loves giving!
F.
God only gives GOOD gifts
1.
The Gift of
Enjoyment
2.
The Gift of
Christ Himself
3.
The Gift of
Salvation from Hell’s Punishment
4.
The Gift of
Eternal Life in Heaven
5.
The Gift of
the Holy Spirit
6.
The Gift of
Individual Personal Abilities
7.
The Gift of
Christian Confidence
8.
The Gift of
Rewards for a Life of Service