This Christmas we have a tradition, give presents to each other. When I was young I remember looking for the presents before Christmas. I wonder how many of us did the same thing?

I would find them and try to open some of them up to see what I got.

My whole life was about what I wanted. O I bought things for others in my family, but it still was all about me.

Than I got saved and God start over a period of time working in my life and I started to learn God's word.

Acts 20:35, I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Once I got saved and started getting closer to God I understood what this verse really meant about giving.

I started to realize how important it was to give of one self.

The True Gift of Christmas was giving, God gave us Christ and Christ gave of Himself the whole time He was here on earth.

Than Christ gave of Himself by dieing on the cross for you and for me.

What is the first gift of Christmas? Jesus Christ

Life is not all about getting, But what can you give.

I.       God gave His son

A.    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.

B.    It all started with God the father, who gave his son, Jesus Christ to us so we can have a way to heaven

C.    Salvation is not just believing that Christ died on the cross

1.     That is one part of it, but not all of it.

2.     The Bible teaches that there is more to salvation than just believing that there is a Christ.

II.     Jesus gave of Himself every day of His life while He was here on earth

A.    Luke 9:58, And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

1.     Christ could have anything He wanted and all He did was give of Himself.

2.     He came down here with one purpose, and that was to make a way for us to get saved and after that to be able to live a Christ like live here on earth.

B.    Christ who owns the universe, it was all His and He could have had anything He wanted and while He was here on earth He had nothing.

1.     John 1:1-4,1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

C.    Christ went around feeding people, healing them, teaching them

1.     He did it without regard of His life.

III.    Than Jesus gave up His life on the cross

A.    No man took his life

1.     Luke 23:46, And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

a)     The soldier who put a spear through His side did not kill Him

b)     Hanging on the cross did not kill Him

B.    Jesus gave up His life joyfully for all of us that we can get saved and go to heaven.

1.     We on our best day cannot get into heaven without Jesus Christ (all our righteousness is as filthy rages)

2.     Only through Christ by accepting Him as your personal savior can one get into heaven

Conclusion:

Two things we need to learn from this today

·        If you are not saved, you need to accept Christ

·        If you are saved, you need to learn to be a giver

Don’t let this Christmas get by without making sure you are saved and if you saved that you make sure you are looking towards Christ to change your life to the good.

Peace, joy, happiness are what we are looking for in life.

But only Christ can give us that.

You see this Christmas tree here with all the presents under it.

We see that the Wise men came after the birth of Christ and gave presents to Christ.

It is all about giving; it is not about what you can get out of it.

So I want us to remember that the first gift of Christmas was Jesus Christ.

And the second gift can be our faith in Christ, which we can give to Him

Weather it be to get saved or as a Christian for us to have a close relationship with Christ.

Christmas Fellowship 12/9/06 at our church