Searching for the Perfect Gift
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Introduction: Do you have all your shopping done yet?
There are some folks that are hard to shop for
- You have no idea what they need or want
- You don't know what size or color
- They are just plain picky
But, God knows exactly what we need. He gives us good and perfect gifts. Just to help us keep our spiritual perspective in these last days leading up to Christmas let us be reminded of some of God's gifts to us.
I. THE GIFT OF THE SAVIOR- "Unto YOU"
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
If there ever was a gift where "everybody needs one", "one size fits all", or "you can't do without it", this is it.
A. It was a promised gift-
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
B. It is a perfectly timed gift-
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
II. THE GIFT OF SALVATION
A. A Personal Relationship With The Living God-
John 3:16 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.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
III. THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-
John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even 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. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
A. An indwelling Being
1. He dwelleth with you
B. An empowering Being
1. The Father will send in My Name
C. An educating Being
1. He shall teach you all things
IV. THE GIFTS OF GRACE -
A. Giving –
2 Corinthians 8:19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
B. Serving-
Ephesians 3:7-8 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
V. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A GIFT?
I suppose every parent has had the experience of searching for some special gift for their child and then after all that effort seeing the child spend more time playing with the box the gift came in than the gift itself.
The feeling you have at that time approximates the feeling God must have about some of His children with their attitude towards His gifts to us.
A. Thank God for it-
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
B. Use it-
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
C. Share it-
2 Timothy 1:6-7 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. 7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
D. Add to it-
2 Peter 1:2-8 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: It was the week before Christmas. Parking spaces were hard to come by. There were long lines, crowded stores, rude people, and grossly inflated prices. In one long checkout line, one man was heard to say, "They should kill the guy who started Christmas." One wise and godly woman in the line said, "They did - they hung Him on a cross."
Therein lies the REAL Christmas story.
Do you know Him? Is He your Lord and Saviour?
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