Bring Your Gifts

Introduction

Welcome back this week! Have you spent some time in worship to God this week? Have you tried raising your hands? I hope that you have…and that you have met with God in awesome ways.

As a sidebar, I hope to publish a Christmas Worship playlist on Apple Music and Spotify this week for you to be able to use in your times of worship this season. I’ve posted some worship playlists from November and even a YouTube video worship playlist. If you’re interested in either of those, text me at 248-780-7004 and I’d be glad to send you the links to whatever you’d like to check out!

So…we continue our Christmas series called, Come to Worship this week. Next week we’ll be talking about pouring out our hearts and then bending our knees the Sunday before Christmas...

Today I want to talk to you about something that is very important as we worship Jesus…bringing our gifts.

We’re going to start in Matthew 2…let’s start reading some of the verses there…grab your Bible and look with me.

READ…focus on v2, “WE HAVE COME TO WORSHIP HIM.”

They had come to worship him. This bothered Herod. People were supposed to bow down before him. To worship him. He was the one in power…not some baby. So…he got panicky. He was worried that his power and kingdom would be threatened by this baby…so he decides to lie. “Go…find out where this baby is…and tell me so that I too can come and worship.”

V9: They saw the star…and they followed it. They followed a star. That they were looking for. (In fact…it looks like on December 21, Saturn and Jupiter will be so close in starlight sky that they will look like one big star…and some sources have said it’s the first time in 800 YEARS this has taken place! Boy…I’m taking that as a blessing from God. A reminder of God’s love for us.)

Back to the Wise Men…they followed this star all thew ay from Persia…all the way to Jesus. This was a distance of somewhere about 900 miles! So…if I travel 900 miles west from here, I get to around Sioux Falls, SD, East: Portland, Maine, NORTH: UNMAPPED Ontario, SOUTH: South of Montgomery, AL. 900 miles is about two times as wide as EUROPE!

This was NOT a short trip. It was long, painful and dangerous. And they traveled it to see the King born in a manger. The one they thought could be the Savior.

V10-11 ON SCREEN: When they saw the star…what were they? OVERJOYED! (Rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.) “We’re happy, that we’re happy, that we’re happy , that we’re happy the Savior is there!”

This was the one that could save them from their sins. They’re overjoyed.

It’s too easy to take that for granted, isn’t it? So often we are UNDER-joyed. We focus on all that we don’t have. We struggle with our struggle. We focus on the hard. We, as Christians, simply walk around under-joyed. I do too.

That’s not to say that we don’t struggle. That’s not to say that life isn’t hard at times…maybe many times. BUT…there is ALWAYS hope…even in the dark. Even in the most hopeless times…because of Jesus.

I want to be better at this…and the way you do it is you focus more on Jesus than anything else. HE DOES NOT CHANGE. His love for you does not change. His forgiveness never changes! So we are overjoyed that we have a Savior!!!

These Wise Men couldn’t wait to get to the house to worship him. 900 miles...”remember that song about the guy walk 500 miles” because he loved a girl? These guys walked 900 miles (okay…rode camels more than likely) for a Savior! And what did they do? THEY BOWED DOWN. We’re going to talk about that in a couple weeks. But they WORSHIPPED. HOW DID THEY WORSHIP? They opened their treasures. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

They’d traveled 900 miles. They were tired. They were probably sore. BUT THEY WORSHIPPED. And they gave their treasures to the One who would save them. The were not underjoyed…they were overjoyed. They weren’t upset that they HAD to give…the WANTED to give.

If you were to look at my office, I have little signs behind my desk that were drawn by my girls. I have a file in my office FULL of little drawings. I think sometimes they wish I’d put them away but there’s now way. They are special to me.

In my mind’s eye, I can see how they gave them to me. They ran up to me and said, DADDY DADDY I have something for you. I LOVE YOU! And it came with hugs and kisses. They didn’t come to me and say, my teacher made me make this for you, mom made me…NO…they were OVERJOYED to give it to me. I GET to give this to you. They’re doing that again this year. They are excited to get gifts at Christmas, but they love having the conversations with Jeannie and me about what they’re gonna get for mom & dad. They are overjoyed.

This is what these Wise Men did. Many theologians believe that the gifts were symbols of what would be of this baby King. This Jesus. Gold for his kingship, frankincense for his priestly role for those he would save and myrrh for his death and burial. They worshipped him, bowed down and gave their gifts.

You may be able to see where I’m going with this. I want to encourage you to bring your gifts as an act of worship to God. We lift up holy hands…and we bring our gifts. Maybe like never before…because you want to worship your Savior.

Don’t shut this off! You may be thinking, it’s a giving talk. UGH. I know…if this is one of the first times you’re worshipping with us today, know that I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve spoken about giving in my 7 years as lead pastor at GCC. Giving is a personal thing between you and God…for sure. But there are things we need to be reminded of and know about what being generous is all about.

I used to HATE these messages, too. BUT…God has changed my heart and is still doing so. I’m still learning about generosity in my life. But I’m learning to LOVE to give to God…because it’s amazing what God does in and through giving…and I love to worship my God. Because without him…I am nothing. The more you give of your money, your time, your will and yourself to God…you become more and more OVERJOYED to keep on.

Love GIVES

Love GAVE so much to me…and we learn from Jesus…that love GIVES.

BOTTOM LINE: Love GIVES

Jeannie & I often look at holidays and birthdays and especially Valentine’s Day and we talk about not giving each other gifts because we have what we want. But no matter what…we always give each other something (except that Christmas after we were engaged, but that’s a different message) because we LOVE each other. I LOVE to give to Jeannie. Love gives.

What did God do? How did God give? All you have to do is look at John 3:16 (ON SCREEN) LOOK at what God gave! LOVE GIVES.

God looked at us and knew that we had been separated by sin. He knew that sin required death. He wanted to restore our relationship to him. Someone innocent would have to die in our place in order to pay the debt of sin. So he sent his Son. He gave it ALL. He became flesh among us. Became EMMANUEL…born to die.

Love gives. It’s just what it does. We love because God first loved us. When you love, you see it in the lives of people, because love gives. Romans 5:8

English Standard Version Chapter 5

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

HE SHOWED US. He didn’t shout it from heaven. He didn’t talk about it. He came to earth. Put skin on…and showed us.

Now, as I talk about this, some of you would probably say, “I love God, but giving’s hard for me. I’d like to give, but I feel financial pressure, and all this,” and I understand that. “I love, but I’m afraid,” or, “I’m hesitant,” or, “I’m reluctant to give.” I get that. In my house…I consistently remember my mom saying that we didn’t make enough money to give.

Listen to what Solomon says about this… (Proverbs 3:5-10

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

6  In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

7  Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

8  It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

9  Honor the LORD with your wealth

and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

10  then your barns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Trust God. he will make your path straight…he will make it clear. But look at what he says in verse 9

Honor the Lord, worship him. Praise him. Make him the most important. Bring God the firstfruits. Give to him first. We give to honor him…and as we give we learn that God always blesses.

BUT…what are firstfruits? We learn that they are the tithe. Malachi chapter 3…God is telling the people that they had been robbing from him…they didn’t know how they had been robbing him…listen to God’s response here (Malachi Passage)

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

The tithe means a tenth. Malachi says we honor God, we worship God with a tenth of what he trusts us with. The firstfruits…the first tenth. (I’m not one that is a stickler on 10%…but if it was before the cross…this is a good starting point.)

What does God say that he will do if we give the tithe? He will pour out blessings on us! On YOU!

I have struggled with giving my entire life. We give today…but it’s still a struggle. Let’s be honest, we forget. A new bill comes up. Things happen. COVID. I have learned to give because God does things with my smaller gifts that I could never do on my own.

Talk about debt: man…we made stupid decisions when we were younger. STUPID. Got buried. For years I was ashamed. I made the mess I have to clean it up. Finally one day God said to me…I have forgiven you of other things and have restored you…why do you think you have to do this alone? Give it to me and then follow me in it. And so we gave.

2012 Journey. God has done things for us that we could’ve never imagined. We see the light at the end of the tunnel and its continually getting brighter.

I’m not saying that every person will see God work in the same way…give to God and you get a car! We don’t give to get…we give because we love…and then God blesses.

BOTTOM LINE: Love GIVES

This is more than our money, though. We are called to give our LIVES. Romans 12:1-2

English Standard Version Chapter 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We trust God with it all. We give to God our lives. We love him because he first loved us.

I know that giving is a hard thing to talk about anytime…let alone in the middle of COVID. But I don’t talk about this today to guilt you…but to help you see that EVERYTHING belongs to God. What you do with your time, your talents and your treasure shows your heart shape.

Because love gives…we know what we love when we consider how we give! How do we know what God loves? Romans 5:8

English Standard Version Chapter 5

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Wise Men gave because they were overjoyed that they had a Savior. God gave because he was overjoyed to save you from your sins…we give of all that we have and all that we are because we are overjoyed that we have a relationship with God the Father because of Jesus.

I want to encourage you to give right now. Of you…of your time, your talents and treasure to God. Maybe you’re giving for the first time…you ask God what he wants you to give. Trust him with all you have…don’t lean on your own understanding…acknowledge him, that he is in control…and he will direct you.

So many are hurting right now…this is the time to give. To the church for ministry…the storehouse, to the people around you, to your family, to your neighbors.

What do you you want? Really? Do you want your Savior this Christmas? Or is it other stuff?

If you had come to worship Jesus with the Wise Men, what gift would you have offered him?

What gift will you give today? Imagine what it would have been like to be one of those wise men kneeling before Jesus, the One who was born to give His life that we could live eternally with God, and give today as an act of worship. Let it come from your heart as an act of worship.

Maybe it’s time for you to worship as you give. To view it that way. Maybe you’ve understood the concept of tithing and you haven’t done it and by faith you want to start because God is calling you to it. Trust in him.

Pray…Father…thank you that you change our hearts. That your Spirit is speaking to us. God…may we be overjoyed that you love us and in how you gave…and as we love you may we be overjoyed that you have given us the oopporulntity to love you…and give to you.May you bring your gifts to Jesus. May we desire nothing else. Help us to see you alone. You’ve given us everything through your Son…and if that was ALL you gave…that would be an ABUNDANCE! May we desire Nothing Else.

SHOW THE VIDEO OF THE SONG

Close with one more prayer about giving and those that are struggling. BRING YOUR GIFTS!!!