How People Miss and
Misunderstand Real Gifts
Romans 2
Dec 16, 2012 AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Luke 2:8-11)
A.
I wasn’t sure what to call this
message
B.
I look around at
1.
They may enjoy drinking, clubbing,
the buzz of last minute gift buying
2.
Some may even enjoy the extra
family time and the cooking
3.
But so, so few actually enjoy
Christmas – Christ’s birth!
C.
Everyone enjoyed it the FIRST Time!
1.
The angel of the Lord in Luke 2
announces the BIRTH of the Son of God and says
2.
GLORY to GOD! – PRAISE GOD
3.
Woohoo! AMEN!
4.
GOOD NEWS
5.
GREAT JOY!
6.
TO EVERYONE EVERYWHERE!
D.
Why isn’t that true today?
E.
I was reading my Bible through, and
a Scripture verse in Romans chapter 2 just jumped out at me (Rom 2:4) “not
knowing the goodness of God…”
F.
It hit me. That’s why people can’t
actually enjoy the celebration of Christ’s birth…
1.
Because they don’t KNOW the Gift
that He is
2.
They don’t know the value of that
gift
3.
They don’t have the habit of
thanking God for anything they already have
4.
They spend most of their time
ignoring the Giver of all perfect gifts
5.
They are unhappy with just knowing
and walking with God
6.
They never use what God gives them
7.
And they never humble themselves
enough to actually accept the gifts that were given because of that first
Christmas morning!
II.
Message
A.
People are Simply Unaware of God’s
Gifts (Romans 2:1-6)
1.
Not that they don’t know – that
would be one thing
a.
But that they ignore God’s gifts –
overlook them – pass on by, not thinking that Jesus Christ is the best thing to
eve happen to this planet!
b.
They see a baby in a crib / a
nativity scene – and pass by
c.
They hear some of the sweetest
Christmas carols – and glare like they are walking on nails
d.
This generation is the most angry
and judgmental and critical generation ever!
2.
Notice the “critical” judgmental
spirit that Paul was pointing out to these new Jewish believers in Jesus Christ
a.
A critical, judgmental attitude is
a signal that they are guilty of what they are finding fault with in other
people
b.
When you spend your time
criticizing other people, it is probably because you do not want to face your
own failures
c.
The Bible teaches us to humble
ourselves
3.
Yet, God will judge – HE will catch
you, and expose you (Gal 6:7) – no one will escape!
4.
Until that day, God is being VERY
gracious to us, NOT instantly judging and condemning us!
5.
But rather instead
a.
Is good towards us
b.
Forbearing
c.
Longsuffering
d.
NOT wanting us to perish (2Peter
3:9)
6.
How dare any of us DESPISE, look
down upon, or reject God’s niceness (goodness) towards us!
a.
Do you realise why most people
despise God’s kindness towards them?
b.
Because they are IGNORANT, NOT
KNOWING that God is giving them a chance, an open door, an opportunity, to
repent, and get right with God
c.
If you only knew just how short the
opportunity to get right may be in your life!
7.
AND, if you only knew what is ahead
- what you are storing up… WRATH and the righteous judgment of God on your
wicked, sinful way of living!
a.
Oh, don’t be ignorant of God’s
gifts
b.
We live in a generation that knows
NOTHING of God, or His word – a famine of the word of God, the laws of God, the
grace of God, and the expectations of an all holy God!
8.
If only people knew just how GOOD
God is being to this last generation!
a.
It’s like children waking up on
Christmas morning, and walking right past the family room, and heading for the
TV, or the internet, NOT KNOWING that there is a PILE of gifts FROM GOD waiting
to be opened and enjoyed by everyone!
b.
Are YOU closing your eyes to the
goodness of GOD in your life?
c.
Please realise that God is being
good to you so that you CAN get right with Him!
B.
People are Uncertain of the Value
of Gifts (Luke 9:25)
1.
YOUR soul is worth more than this
entire planet! (Luke 9:25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole
world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
a.
Priceless
b.
And yet the rush is to throw it
away into the cesspool of sin
2.
The value of the “riches” of this
world are uncertain (1Ti 6:17) Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God,
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy
a.
Constantly changing, fluctuating
b.
Constantly disappearing
3.
What do YOU esteem? Value? Prize?
4.
Are you going to join the
multitudes that don’t even realise the value of the gifts that God offers to
everyone, and just ignore them or toss them aside? (Heb 11:24-26)
a.
You pick up a gift and it says
“PURITY”
1)
Yet Teens throw away their
virginity, their testimony, their sanity for the pleasures of sin for a season –
for just a few years of “wildness”
2)
Grown men and women throw away
their homes, and their future for an adulterous affair
b.
You pick up a gift, and open it,
and it says, FORGIVEN
1)
What is that worth?
2)
What did it cost the forgiver?
c.
You open up a gift, and it says,
ETERNAL LIFE
1)
How much value can you put on being
able to live forever in a perfect body, with no more sin, sorrow, sickness,
stress, or Satan???
d.
You pick up a present, wrapped in
swaddling clothes and it says “JESUS”
1)
Many years ago, that name meant
something
2)
Now, it has little value doesn’t it
3)
The name “Christian” means so
little if anything at all to most people
e.
You open up a gift, and it says,
“The Holy Bible – the word of God in English”
1)
How much effort did it take to get
it into English?
2)
How many lives were tortured and
lost in just translating it when it was illegal?
3)
How much money did someone invest
in getting that Bible into your hand?
f.
You open up another gift, and it
says, FAMILY
1)
How much is your wife or husband
having to put up with just to STAY with you?
2)
How much is an hour with your
children every day worth????
5.
How long will you stay ignorant,
uncertain of ther value of the gifts that God so freely offers to you?
6.
Listen to the apostle Paul as he
takes inventory of all that he has ever owned (Philp 3:7,8)!
7.
Our world lives in DEBT that is
incalculable – yet a Christian has been given such gifts that far outweigh all
debts – to a value that is without words (2Cor 9:15) – like the word “Google”
C.
People are Unappreciative of God’s
Gifts (2Timothy 3:1,2)
1.
One of the most wicked sins of this
modern generation is unthankfulness
a.
The proud inability to stop and
thank God for what God or even other people give to you
b.
It is one of the first sins we all
committed as children
c.
Just Taking things for granted –
just expecting things and gifts
2.
People’s lusts are never satisfied
(Isaiah 56:11)
a.
Discontent, unstatisfied with what
they have been given
b.
Never content or happy – things
have to be perfect before they would ever consider jumping up and down in joy!
c.
Take a look at
1)
Gen 33:8,9,11
2)
Heb 13:5
3)
1Tim 6:8.6
4)
Philp 4:11
5)
Luke 3:14
3.
Open a gift, and then thank the
GIVER! THANK Him, daily, hourly
4.
Over and over and over again!
a.
Repetitious prayers are forbidden
in the Bible
b.
But repetitious thankful words are
not! Thank God over and over and over
1)
For every good and perfect gift
(James 1:17) in your life
2)
For every person
3)
For every breath
4)
For every meal
5)
For every paycheck
6)
For every hug that you get
7)
For every opportunity to serve the
Lord and people in His place
8)
For every message from the word of
God your pastor prepares and preaches
9)
For every Christian in this body of
believers
10)
The list should go on and on!
5.
It creates contentment
a.
Some people are afraid of
contentment – to them it means boredom!
b.
If you would ever start being
THANKFUL for the gifts in your life, you will learn godly contentment – you will
actually realise that you “have more than enough!”
6.
And contentment allows for JOY to
take root and grow!
D.
People are Unattentive to the Giver
(John 6:24-26)
1.
People went looking for Jesus
a.
Jesus had just fed 20,000 people,
and then left to cross the sea of Galilee
b.
All those people the next day
crossed the water as well looking for Jesus
c.
And when they found Him, notice
what they said, “Were did YOU go?”
d.
Jesus revealed that they weren’t
looking for HIM, but for more free food – more gifts
e.
Today it is the same! Not looking
for GOD, but for what they can GET from God
2.
People don’t enjoy Christmas
because the GIVER is missing
a.
It is terrible when a family member
is missing or not home at Christmas
b.
Well, more so when the GIVER of all
life is not welcome in homes!
c.
Oh this truth gets so close to
where people live – so hurtful
3.
As a matter of fact, people don’t
even BELIEVE in a Giver
a.
Believe that stuff just randomly
appear out of nowhere. Believe everything has the ILLUSION of purpose and plan.
That it just LOOKS like there is a God out there
b.
Or, they believe somebody in a red
clown suit came down the chimney and dropped off all the good things in their
life
c.
Some think things just happen in
their life – FATE
d.
They think THEY accumulated all the
stuff in their life
e.
People believe in fairy tales
f.
Most reject the truth that
everything we have, came from GOD
4.
Are you one of those who could care
less about the One who GAVE us everything to enjoy (1Tim 6:17)?
5.
It is so wrong to forget the Giver
of a gift
a.
It is SOOOO wrong to grab gifts and
then rip them open, and then run off!
b.
And yet that is what we do almost
all day every day of our lives!
c.
Young David got so many blessings
from God, but David’s main desire was always and only, to have God’s heart! A
man who was after God’s heart, not God’s blessings!
6.
He (God, just as we all) just
expect some attention
a.
To be attentive is to look someone
in the eye and make sure they know you thank THEM for what they got you for
Christmas!
b.
Are you attentive towards God? Or
is He just a religious icon?
c.
People may have been religious in
the past, and were very attentive to statues and church buildings, and priests
and the Tabernacle, and the holy water, etc
d.
But, oh that everyone knew that
they did not minister to the heart and expectations of God!
7.
Some praise - It is the GIVER of
gifts that expects us to thank and praise Him
8.
Some time
a.
Expects us to spend time with Him
b.
My Dad loves letters from his
grandchildren – just having them make time to tell him about their lives!
9.
Some intimacy
a.
The modern Christian is NOT
interested in getting to know God, or doctrine, or the Bible that HE might be
pleased with our lives
b.
But rather, they are only
interested in “experiencing” God and GETTING stuff from God every week at
church, just like the Late-Late Show “for everyone in the audience”
10.
Do NOT allow God to be missing from
your home, your thoughts this Christmas or any time of the year
E.
People are Unfruitful in the use of
God’s Gifts (Luke 19:20-23)
1.
Christians HIDE what God gives them
a.
Their talents and God given
abilities
b.
Their tithes
c.
Their free time – they hide so they
don’t have to go soul-winning, or come to church on Sunday evening and Wednesday
2.
People just consume them upon their
own lusts (James 4:3) – remember that we have all been labelled, CONSUMERS! We
are not people anymmore – we are CUSTOMERS!
3.
God gives us gifts to be used and
developed and enjoyed for His glory – not our own
4.
A gift given at Christmas should
not be put away and never used or enjoyed (Prov 17:8)
a.
It should prosper you – help you
advance and prosper
b.
Gifts are given to benefit the
person who gets them!
5.
Have you hidden God’s gifts to you?
6.
Or are you passionately using and
enjoying them?
F.
People are Unmoveable to receiving
God’s Gifts
1.
Too proud to make a move towards
God as he moves towards THEM (James 4:8)
a.
Remember, He came to OUR world
b.
He speaks in OUR languages
c.
He made the distance
d.
And so many won’t walk 10 steps!
2.
God offers, open handed, everything
of value to this whole world
a.
His Son
b.
His forgiveness
c.
Eternal life
d.
The perfect and eternal word of God
e.
A changed life
3.
And people won’t humble themselves
to receive them
4.
Won’t come forward and pray with a
pastor and humble themselves and get born again
5.
They won’t go to someone they are
mad at and humble themselves and say I am wrong and I am sorry
6.
They won’t accept the gift of sleep
at night because they are too proud
7.
They won’t accept Jesus Christ
because they think He is too embarrassing!
8.
Are you THAT stubborn? THAT stupid?
9.
God has gone as far as possible.
The final step is totally up to YOU. Will you now receive God’s great gifts this
Christmas (John 1:10-12)?
III.
Conclusion - Application
A.
Are you even AWARE of what God has
offered everyone?
B.
Do you realise just how priceless
even just ONE of God’s gifts are?
C.
Have you ever even THANKED God for
His gifts?
D.
Are you ignoring the God who GIVES
this Christmas?
1.
Focusing on Santa
2.
Focusing on your past and failures
3.
Focusing on anything other than
what GOD is trying to put into your life right now
E.
Can you honestly say you “have
enough”?
F.
Are you using God’s gifts for HIS
benefit or do you just toss them aside, ignoring the power and the value of what
God has invested in each of us?
G.
Are you so stubborn and proud and
stuck-up that you won’t make a move and receive the gifts
1.
Of forgiveness of all sin
2.
Of eternal life
3.
Of a sound mind
4.
Of the will of God for your life
5.
Of the people that God has placed
in your life – will you not humble yourself TODAY and go to them and get things
right?
H.
God’s gifts can be
1.
Ignored
2.
Wrongly valued
3.
Unappreciated
4.
Sought after more than seeking God
5.
Unused
6.
Left alone
I.
What will you do with them after
this message?