Perfect Gift

"Searching for the 'Perfect Gift'"

Christmas 2007

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 (Years ago, I made the mistake of buying a tie for my dad- he never wore it)

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.

1. The gift of the Saviour-

Luke 2:11–12 NIV

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

(NIV)

(NIV)

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ£ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” If there ever was a gift where "everyboby needs one", "one size fits all", or "you can't do without it", this is it.

A. It was a promised gift-

B. It is a perfectly timed gift-

2. The gift of salvation

A personal relationship with the living God-

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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3. The gift of the Holy Spirit-

John 14:16–18 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

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Indwelling

Empowering

Educating

4. The gift of grace

Empowering us to do life

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- B. Use it- C. Share it- , D. Add to it-

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. ------------