THE GREATEST GIFT EVER GIVEN ( Christmas 2023)

Introduction

Tell Story about Josh throwing out the Christmas Gifts.-

This seemed like it was going to be the worst Christmas ever because we had nothing for Christmas. But then the Church family stepped up and one after another gifts for all of us kids kept showing up. It ended up being one of the most remembered Christmases of my child hood. We didn’t deserve those gifts but people gave them to us because they loved us. Another Christmas memory I have is Christmas at Grandma Myrna’s House. You never knew what might be in the box but it was SO MUCH FUN. Giving gifts to those we love is a central focus at Christmas time. It’s not the size or the cost that matters, it’s the love that comes with it.

As I think back to all the gifts I recieved as a kid, the things I remember most are

the blanket my grandma made me when I was 12,

the 1864- 2 Cent Coin that my great uncle gave when I wanted to start collecting coins, and

the Bible my parents bought me when I was a teenager.

It’s not the monetary value of the gift that made it special, but the love that came with it from the giver.

The definition of a gift is: something that has been given willingly to someone without payment;

Today I want us to take a few minutes to to look at the greatest Christmas gift ever given.

It wasn’t flashy, or popular , but it was given with an overwhelming abundance of love.

Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes this gift.

The Gospel Gift Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Remember the definition of a gift?- Something given willingly to someone without Payment.

Kids did you know that God has a special gift for you?

Now this gift is extra special - Because It’s a gift that you do not have to earn.

In fact the Bible says this gift is so free that there is absolutely nothing you need to do to receive it, ———— Accept Reach out your hands and take it.

We see this truth in

Romans 10:13 says that “anyone who Calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Illustration:

Now Kids I want you to know that I really love you, I am so glad you are part of our church.

and Because you are so special to me I want to give you a gift.

I have a bag full of Candy Canes -

Would any of you like to have a free Candy cane?

Well guess what you dont have to do anything to get one all you have to do is come to me and ask for it.

Repeat - would any of you kids like a candy cane?

Well what do you have to do to get it?

COME ON

HAND OUT CANDY CANES!

AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE GIFT——

God’s gift to us is so much greater than a candy Cane-

Friends, God is offering you salvation -He is offering you eternal hope today.

And Just like these kids- There is nothing you have to do to receive this gift other than reach out your hand and accept it.

Ephesians 2: 1- “and you were dead in your trespasses and sin.”

The bible teaches us that we are dead in our sin.

When it comes to a dead man- A dead man is incapable on his own to believe in Jesus.

Remember what the only thing a dead man can do?

“the only thing a dead man can do is stink.”

How true is that of our lives.

Romans 3:10 “ there is no one who is good, not even one.”

Isaiah 64:6 - “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.”

The reality is this -Dead People have no natural Faith towards Christ.

We have nothing to offer God in return for the gift of salvation.

And this is why Paul describes us in Eph 2:1 as dead in our sin.

There is absolutely nothing we could ever do to be good enough to earn this gift, Salvation is not prize for those who win it. Its not a reward to those who are good enough- ITS A GIFT!

So the only way for anyone of us to ever obtain this gift from God is if He chooses out of love for us to give it to us as a gift- without any strings attached.

POSSIBLE SKIP

Listen to Our verse a gain

“For by GRACE you have been save through FAITH , which is a gift of God.

Grace:- is God giving us Eternal mercy even when we Deserve Eternal Punishment-

Friends-We deserve the punishment of Hell because of our sin. But The fact that God offers us mercy is a gift of Grace.

Transition: But this is not the only part of the gift God is offering us.

He also Gives us the gift of Faith-

“Through Faith……- its a gift of God.”

Faith is the ability to believe that God will do what He says.

OUnderstand friends that Even our faith is a gift from God.

Faith in its simplest form is a belief that leads to action.

SKIP END

We need to understand that spiritually dead sinners have no desire for Christ.

Dead people cannot produce Faith on their own

The Bible makes this very clear in Romans 3:10 “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Without God’s gospel gift of Christ we have no hope of even knowing and comprehending the truth, let alone trying to obtain it.

What we need to understand is that God giving us the ability to understand what we don’t deserve is a gift of Faith.

And what does Faith lead to?

BELIEF

-that means that even Our ability to Believe in Jesus as our savior is also a gift frpom God.

Belief is absolute trust and acceptance of God’s Word as truth.

Jesus said in John 6:44 “No one comes to me unless the Father draws him.”

Friends your salvation is all because Of Gods gift in your life.

God implants faith in the sinners heart which turns them away from their sin and turns their heart towards Christ.

And it is this gift of faith that gives sinful man the ability to Believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

So Why did God give us such a gift when we are so rotten in side?

. “So that none can Boast”

Understand: You bring nothing to the table except a “ stinky dead sinner”

The result of of our Faith in Christ brings everlasting life to all who believe.

Illustration: Royal Prestige Pots and Pans

When Amy and I went to the demonstration we were 19 and 20 years old and only been married about 5 months. –We walked in and Saw the price- and knew we would never have those pots and pans in our lives, BUT For our time there they put our names in a drawing to win a prize. And we won one of the grand prizes- a free tropical vacation. - All expenses paid- It was our vacation, we owned it- We didn’t have to buy anything to get it – it was totally free. We had a free vacation! We took our certificate, out it in our lockbox and left it there. We didn’t want it quite yet but thought it would be a good thing for us to do in the future .

2 years later we finally thought it was time to accept our free gift, our tropical vacation.

We pulled out our certificate, called the number on it to get everything set up, but time had already expired.

It was too late.

We waited too long.

They gave us a free gift that we could have taken anytime we wanted to as long as it was before the expiration date.

Friends, God’s free gift of salvation is the same way. God is offering you His free gift of eternal life but it has an expiration Date on it.

Heb. 9:27 “it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that is your judgement.

“Death is the expiration date of God’s gift of Salvation.” and friends the reality we dont know how many more breaths we have on this earth.

Friends If you are here today and God is turning your heart towards Him- Maybe for the very first time- You see hope in Jesus.

That can only mean that He is offering you the free gift of salvation- Remember, No one seeks after God- If your heart is looking to Jesus for eternal life- DOnt reject the free gift He is offering you today- Accept it as your own

Live out the words of Romans 10:13 in your life which says “anyone who Calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. “

Christmas time is a celebration of God’ Gift to humanity.

Jesus Christ, God’s son ,came to earth, he lived perfectly and died so that you can have eternal life.

when We think about how much God has given us through Jesus, it should cause us to rejoice with thanksgiving -

Because we know that without God’s gift we would still be dead in our trespasses and sin.

If you are here and have never accepted God’s Gift of Salvation I would love to talk with you after we close.

Brothers and sisters in Christ- As we go through this Christmas season, let’s take time to celebrate the gift God has graciously given us through his son Jesus Christ.

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Pray