Thanks for the Gifts

Intro:

Acts 11:15–18 NKJV

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Today, the title of my message is, [Thanks for the Gifts].

I always like it when Christmas falls on a Sunday. Since 1900, there have been 122 Christmases, only eighteen of them have fallen on a Sunday.

Of the eighteen times Christmas has fallen on Sunday, six of those have happened in my life time. I realize it causes us to readjust our schedules. It is a little busier than a regular Sunday, but what a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Going to Church on Sunday when it was Christmas didn’t change too much in our house when I was a child, because we couldn’t wait to get up early and open our gifts.

Regardless of when Christmas fell, we LOVED opening gifts. Any other day of the year, it was impossible to get us up early, but come Christmas, at 5:00 am, we were ready to go!

After opening everything, we always would give our mom and dad a hug and thank them for the gifts. Then, one of us, normally me, would yell at the top of my lungs, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFTS SANTA!

Who all recieved a gift this morning? Who all said thanks?

If not, you might want to extend your appreciation to whoever gave you the gifts.

I was praying in my office a while back thinking about today and wondering what the Lord wanted me to preach.

We watched the Christmas story unfold last week through our kids. We all know about Mary and Joseph. the shepherds, the wise men, and most of all, baby Jesus.

But I began to think about the gifts God gives us. There are two gifts I want to focus on for a few moments.

I believe as I reference these gifts, God, through His generosity, will want to continue to bestow these gifts upon us!

Let’s look at them, [The Gift of Salvation] and [The Gift of the Spirit].

Let’s begin

1. The Gift of Salvation

In our text we read the words of Peter. He spoke to the leaders at the Church in Jerusalem, discussing a major turning point within the Church.

Their question was, will God give the gift of salvation to the Gentiles?

For us, the question seems trivial and unnecessary. But imagine being a Gentile alive in the days of the Early Church, wanting to accept Jesus as Savior, but being told you were not allowed to do so because you were not born Jewish.

But this was the mindset of everyone, including Peter, until one day he had a vision.

In the vision, God revealed to him that the Lord will cleanse and make clean what some people considered unclean.

After the vision, Peter went to the home of an Italian, a Gentile, to preach the Gospel to them.

Listen to what Peter said,

Acts 10:28 NKJV

28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Imagine inviting someone over to Christmas dinner and the first thing they say when they walk in the door is:

We both know that you are a dirty, filthy, person, and it really isn’t even right for me to come here, BUT GOD had to show me in a vision that I cannot call you common and unclean?

What a warm welcome?

Peter did preach to this Gentile man, and his entire family and all of his friends. And guess what happened?

God gave them the gift of salvation.

Acts 10:43 NKJV

43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

The Holy Spirit led Peter to declare these words— that EVERYONE believes in Him will have forgiveness of sins through His name.

What joy filled the people’s hearts when they realized that God would also give them the gift of salvation.

We are no different than them— God has also given us the gift of salvation. And today, on the day when we give and receive gifts, we should always remember the best gift is salvation.

2. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Back to our text, Peter was in Jerusalem having to explain what he did in the home of the Gentiles. He celebrated that God was giving gifts to EVERYONE, but there were many who still did not understand.

Peter went on to describe what happened. He was preaching to them, because God revealed that He would give them the gift of salvation.

But as Peter preached, people were saved and then he watched as the gift of the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Acts 10:45–46 NKJV

45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

Those of the circumcision were those who were taught that only Jews could get saved and be right with God. IF any Gentile were ever allowed in, they would have to become Jewish FIRST and then God MIGHT save them.

But, they witnessed as the Holy Spirit came upon them. How did they know they recieved the gift of the Holy Spirit?

They heard them speak in tongues and magnify God.

What does it mean to magnify God?

It means to give Him thanks!

Peter and those with him, baptized all of the new Gentile converts, on whom God have given the gift of salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In our text, we read that he stood before other men of God in Jerusalem to explain what happened.

Let’s read once again what happened, but this time in the New Living Translation:

Acts 11:17–18 NLT

17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?” 18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Once they realized that God had give the Gentiles the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit, they took time to thank God for giving these gifts!

Close:

When I felt prompted to preach out of Acts 11 on Christmas, I was a bit confused.

Acts 11 does not mention:

The town of Bethlehem

The star

The shepherds

The angels singing Glory

The lack of room in the inn

The manger

The virgin mother Mary

The adopted father Joseph

The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes

Or the wise men traveling from the east

Why is it appropriate to preach from Acts 11 on Christmas?

And it hit me— as of November 14, 2022, retails stores have brought in over 900 BILLION dollars in sales as the average American will spend $932 on gifts.

All that money of gifts, on toys that will break, clothes that will go out of style, and items that will get regifted to someone else.

We might think, I can’t believe how much Christmas is costing nowadays, especially with inflation. No wonder we thank people when they give us a gift.

But when it comes to the real cost of gifts at Christmas, let’s think for a moment of what the gift of salvation cost us? What about the gift of the Holy Spirit?

What did it cost God to give us THESE gifts?

It cost Him everything. He gave His ONLY Son. Sure, we celebrate the meek and mild baby Jesus, born in a manger. But let us never forget, the events of His birth were put on paper ONLY AFTER:

His gruesome death

His lifeless body lay in a tomb

His resurrection

Jesus is the greatest gift— Paul summarized in best

2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV

15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT

15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

2 Corinthians 9:15 ESV

15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Of all the gifts I got at Christmas as a child, and my parents went above and beyond at Christmas, but truthfully, I only remember a few of the gifts they gave me.

And of ALL the gifts I recieved from my parents throughout the eighteen years I lived in their home, I think I have only a couple of them to this day.

BUT, when I think of the gifts God has given, I still have those.

I still have the gift of salvation that he gave me when I was five years old.

I still have the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was poured out in my life when I spoke in tongues at seven years old.

I still enjoy the gifts He gives, and I want to take time and give THANKS FOR THE GIFTS!