Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome

Merry Christmas!

We are so glad to be gathered here to celebrate the extravagant gift of Jesus!

Tonight and tomorrow I know that many will be receiving extravagant gifts.

Gifts that you’ve hoped for, prayed for, written to Santa about receiving and this time of year is so exciting for many because of those extravagant gifts.

However, tonight is about the extravagant gift of Jesus!

Hear me when I say this...

There is no other gift given that will ever be better than Jesus.

call ushers to the front

So tonight we bring our gifts of sacrifice of our time, talents and resources to honor our King with extravagant gifts.

So right now I want us to do that.

call ushers to the front

Earlier I told you about our connect and giving envelopes because we want to connect with you, but we also want to be obedient to God’s call to be generous.

Because our God has been so generous with us.

Be

Let me pray over this time of connection and offering.

Father God, we thank you, that you saw fit to be generous to us through the extravagant gift of Your Son Jesus Christ.

We acknowledge that you show us, you teach us, and you command us to be generous, because you are generous.

Bless this offering and may it serve this community through the call you have placed on us to be the Bride of Christ—the local church.

May it be pleasing to you for the work of making Christ known to many.

We pray this in Jesus name…and God’s people said…Amen!

Devotion

While our ushers receiving your connection and offering envelopes, I want to share a devotional thought with you.

Introduction

We live in an age where we get information so fast that we feel so connected, so in know, that we almost consider ourselves cultural experts on what’s going on in the world.

Social media allows us to catch news in real time, but it also makes it incredibly easy for false information (“fake news”) to spread.

It’s said in studies (on the internet) that fake news spreads faster than true news.

That’s not at all surprising, most people get their info now from social media without thinking about which traditional news outlets the stories come from.

Instead we track “[gushing rumors],” or tweets involving any piece of information (texts, photos, links to articles) that insinuate to be true news.

Because most people get information from social media without thinking about which traditional news outlets the stories come from, didn’t just look at “fake news” published in full-article form.

They instead tracked “[gushing rumors],” or the spread of tweets involving any piece of information (texts, photos, links to articles) that insinuated to be true news.

Here’s the dangerous thing: Our minds map information in many ways with many biases— the ways in which we process information other than thinking about it rationally—But here’s the danger in our ability to stray from truth...

1.

The Old Testament points to the gift of Jesus ():

We remember the past as being better than it was, we will lie to ourselves and believe things more and more just bc of how often they’re repeated, and we let new events color our recollection of old memories, among other things.

But a lot of our love for lies comes from good old traditional bias or preferences.

We just accept what we are being told because we believe the source in which we receive the information.

Tonight, I want to lay before you truth from the word of God concerning the Good News of Jesus (the Gospel) that comes from the true source, God’s Word.

I want you to consider tonight, as if you are hearing for the first time, so that with the brain God gave you.

Like, you would process His truth.

Not a truth you heard from a preacher.

Not something you were told as a child by a well meaning family member

Not by something you read on Facebook

Not something you learned from a show you watched on television (that gave you information about who Jesus is and why he came).

Because believe it or not, some of what you think you know is wrong.

It’s fake news about the greatest gift ever given by the Greatest God who has created all things and by His grace given us through the revelation of his Word the TRUE, GOOD NEWS of Jesus.

So let’s look at a few things in Scripture gives us that we can cling to and know why we can say with confidence that...

There is no other gift given that will ever be better than Jesus.

Exposition

1.

The Old Testament points to the gift of Jesus ():

Over 700 years before Jesus was born in the book of Isaiah (chp 9) there is an extravagant prophecy about the coming Messiah…here’s what it says:

The first , over 700 years before Jesus was born in the book of Isaiah (chp 9) there is an extravagant prophecy about the coming Messiah…here’s what it says:

The first thing we need to know is that this is a gift that God gives us.

And we can’t take this for granted because it sets EVERYTHING right.

Isa.

speaks about the “increase of His government.”

We get a lot of “fake news” on the gov.

But what must be understood in this Biblical truth is that, the best government we could ever imagine…pales in comparison to the government of our God…meaning Jesus has the Authority as the gift of God to set all things right!

And that’s not for a “4 year or 8 year term”…it’s for all eternity.

2. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus is the gift from God ():

The second verse we need to look at is one that we can rush through especially as Christians.

If you grew up here in the south especially (Bible belt country) you are saved because you drove by a church one time and know this next Scripture.

That’s what you mind wants to convince you but, it must travel deeper.

It must enter your heart.

): The second verse we need to look at is one that we can rush through especially as Christians.

If you grew up here in the south especially (Bible belt country) you are saved because you drove by a church one time and know this next Scripture.

That’s what you mind wants to convince you but, it must travel deeper.

It must enter your heart.

So the second verse we need to look at is one that we can rush through especially as Christians.

If you grew up here in the south especially (Bible belt country) you are saved because you drove by a church one time and know this next Scripture.

That’s what you mind wants to convince you but, it must travel deeper.

It must enter your heart.

): The second verse we need to look at is one that we can rush through especially as Christians.

If you grew up here in the south especially (Bible belt country) you are saved because you drove by a church one time and know this next Scripture.

That’s what you mind wants to convince you but, it must travel deeper.

It must enter your heart.

So we must see God gave us Jesus as this gift to set everything right but that gift is given because of God’s love.

If you are here tonight and are wondering if God loves you…the answer is He does.

God’s gift is motivated out of love.

So that’s why I’m telling you...

There is no other gift given that will ever be better than Jesus.

So his gift changes everything, is motivated by love, and the Third verse from...

3. The New Testament  teaches us why we need the gift of Jesus ()

It’s a gift that sets every thing right, it’s a gift motivated from the heart and love of God, and it’s a gift, a FREE gift, that effects our eternity.

And it’s a gift we could never pay for ourselves of purchase on the behalf of someone else.

It is a personal gift that is given to you by grace through faith from God.

You see tonight we are going to get gifts and give gifts and I am sure they will be awesome and they will make you happy they will cause you to hug and kiss and rejoice and celebrate together.

And that will be an awesome experience and a great time to share with family and friends.

But this is what I know…sooner or later those gifts get forgotten, or become outdated, our hearts become geared to the newest and the latest and greatest.

That’s why I can say with confidence...

There is no other gift given that will ever be better than Jesus.

I have three question for you based on the truth we discussed tonight.

Who is Jesus?

Like who is He to you?

Is it based on “fake news” or the truth of God’s Word?

What did Jesus do?

Do you know?

Is it based off of what you’ve heard or what you know in your heart through God’s Word?

Why does that matter?

You must be able to answer those questions.

And the truth of why it matters.