What Is Needed This Christmas
Richard Nunez
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 35:35
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Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning Church Family! Well it’s almost CHRISTMAS! Not counting today, we have 5 days till we are celebrating the birth of JESUS CHRIST! I’ve been seeing folks around town, light are up, parties are happening, people are taking in the sounds, sights and flavors of the season. How’s your Christmas shopping going? If you find yourself shopping at one of the popular retail web outlets, you should just get your stuff in time by weeks end. Perhaps you’re just starting or trying to shop for the person who seems like they have everything.
There has been a lot that has happened this year since COVID came on stage. Some of you might feel that this has been a fast year. It seems like we were just learning about COVID and now we’re days away from Christmas, and some of us are trying to figure out that one special gift to give that will bring the sparkle of the Christmas season to someone’s eyes. For those who were near to the birth of our Savior, and seeing that star in the sky, that brought sparkle to many eyes. Today, in this COVID world, there are many who could use some Christmas sparkle. And that brings us to the title of our message this morning — What Is Needed This Christmas? What many need this Christmas is the gift of love.
Giving the gift of love is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Next to the learning about the cross, one of the greatest Christmas messages in the Bible are the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave is only son.” That’s the first half of John 3:16. It was out of the love God has for His creation that He gave the Gift of all gifts, “his only son.” I’d like to invite you to open your Bibles with me to the 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, and let begin by starting together in Verse 1.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
If you have your Bibles open to Chapter 13, or taking notes, I’d like to consider these 3 verses as one unit. So for clarity purposes, all 3 verses won’t be shown on one slide, just so we can read the text. These 3 verses begin to talk about the value, importance, way, greatness of love. Some of the spiritual gifts Paul talked about in Chapter 12 are brought forward.
[Display Verse 1]
And, some of those gifts is the gift of tongues. There is much debate as to exactly what Paul had meant. For now, we’ll leave those discussions to our small group time. Having the physical gift of a tongue is an amazing thing. Think of all the things we do with our tongue. It helps our brain understand what we’re tasting. It helps us to chew our food. It helps us to communicate. If we go with communication for just a moment. This can lead us to what we refer to as speech. We can have the best speech, backed up the best grammatically correct sentences, packaged with the coaching of the best vocal coaches that have helped to tune tone and pitch. We can have all of these, but if they are used in love they are futile, rendered as nothing. If we put this into a word problem, it could read “the most impressing speech MINUS (as Paul mentions here) love, this would equal nothing. And, he clarifies that it would sound like, “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Have you ever been to a cymbal solo? I can assure you it’s not very exciting. The person could be playing it accurately. I mean every note was spot on. Without love it’s just noise.
[Display Verse 2]
Paul’s talking about the same concept in verse two. Verse two talks about some amazing gifts, “prophetic powers,” understanding and knowledge. If we continue on with our theme of a word problem, verse two can expressed as the most impressive gifts MINUS love, this to would equal “nothing,” with the absence of love. The same goes for verse 3!
[Display Verse 3]
Verse 3 guides us to where we can give away everything we own. We can give away our bodies. If we do so without love in our hearts, it does not profit anybody; it profits the church nothing. Paul’s emphasis here is clear. When love is absent the equation equals nothing. I am thankful we don’t live in a world devoid of love. Love fills life with necessary meaning. When we show love to someone, it usually comes on the form of an outward expression that is directed at another person. Jesus Christ is an example of this. We see Jesus’ outward expression of love in:
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God loved a sin-filled world that he gave his one and only Son, not because we think we’re deserving, but because He loves us. Through that love, it would cost Jesus Christ His life. But! He did it because this is the nature of love, which was to show love with the ultimate sacrifice for all who need it. Through out our Lord’s ministry, we can see the qualities of love through out His ministry. In the next series of verses (verses 4 through 8), Paul begins to talk about the qualities, virtues and descriptions of love. Paul begins to paint a portrait of love for us. He begins in showing us the many sides of true godly love. In the larger picture, Paul personalizes love.
[Display Verse 4]
Notice the first quality of love patience, “love is patient.” To have love that is patient means that it’s a type of love that is forbearing, or to have a type of love that is long-suffering. Another way this can be expressed is to call it long tempered. One example of this type of love, one that is long tempered is through Stephen’s example. Acts Chapter 7 is a long chapter. But! Toward the end of the Chapter, beginning in verse 54, we read can lean about the stoning of Stephen. Now, this was not a quick way, nor an easy way to meet the Lord. As Stephen going through this and enduring, in the last verse, Verse number 60, he said, “Lord do not hold this sin against them.” This is showing it’s the kink of love that not only is patient, long-suffering; it’s kind.
One thing that we can see we need here in Kirtland, New Mexico, we could even extend that to to the Four Corners is kindness. Kindness is a type of love that shows love in the little things. Kind, that is a type of love that is merciful or compassionate. It reaches out in those times of need. To Titus Paul wrote,
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Since, COVID came on scene this past spring, many have been pushed to their limit on many fronts. Perhaps there’s someone you know who could use some love that is patient and kind? How can you reach out to this person?
Again, real love is a type of love that “does not envy,” or become jealous. Real love does not seek the spot light. It gives credit where credit is due. Back in seminary, I learned about a married couple who were facing some challenges. The challenges were blooming from the root of jealously. The woman had commented, the better she was doing and the more advances she made, the worse they did. He husband was becoming jealous because of her advancement. When there’s true love. Love is making a 180-degree turn from where jealously resides to a type of love that is rejoicing. Love has then become a cheerleader. It recognizes the advancements as blessings. That’s when we call in the praise back to God! Look at what God has done. It’s not about being smug (or rude) about it, or become “irritable or resentful.” We’re beginning to touch on verse 5.
[Display Verse 5]
Love won’t be thinking, “well your gain is my loss.” No, we won’t be thinking that! In stead, we’ll be looking on the other side. We’re going to want to rejoice! We won’t be resting cringing or resting in resentment. Everyday we get to walk God’s earth, God is treating us with grace. And! When we mess up (or stub our toe), God is there with the tap of forgiveness. Just as God has treated with grace and forgiveness, we are challenged to do the same. We are challenged not to count the evil someone might have done. Because after all, we’re taking God in both faith and His word that our evil and wrong doing are removed. As David says in:
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
WOW — Isn’t it a powerful reflection of the staying power and persistence of God love? Herein verse 7, Paul begins a mini-outline about the persistence of love. Look with me at verse 7.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The word bear begins to point to a type of endurance, in our context of love for another person, to cover them. I’ve heard it mentioned that a person who “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” can actually be blinded by some situations. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. That’s because love is willing to see more. The lens has changed from telephoto to wide-angle. What does love actually see? Well that’s a great question! Love sees the cross of Jesus Christ and the price that was paid at Calvary for that person! The blood of Jesus Christ covers that other person! The blood of Jesus Christ covers us! And, it continues to cover! This was part of Peter’s testimony when he said:
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
That’s the thing I want to challenge you with. Yes, “love covers a multitude of sins.” Why does love have to stop there?! Why does love have to stop with sin? The answer is — it doesn't! Love knows no boundaries. Love fills life with lasting significance! That’s because of Jesus Christ. Jesus fills our life. When we’re filled with the love of our Messiah, it over flows onto others.
Application
Application
One of the greatest attributes a believer can have is love. That’s because, as the Bible says in verse number 8.
[Display Verse 8]
Love never ends! All other spiritual gifts will pass away. But! Love will remain. As believers in Jesus Christ, we already know this type of love, A type of love that knows no boundary. A type of love that has been patient with us. A type of love that believes, hopes and endures. One way we can show this kind of love is by sharing the gospel with someone. We have Christmas coming up at the end of the week. So when you’re opening your Bible on Christmas, and reading the Christmas story with friends and family, share the gospel with them. Before you leave this morning, in your bulletins, there is a card for you to write a name on. I’d like to challenge you to write a name (or names) on that card of someone you’ll commit to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with this Christmas.
Perhaps you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, or think that you could be unlovable because of your past. I want you to know that God loves you. And, that His grace and forgiveness come by His Son Jesus Christ. His blood will wash you clean! Do you believe that? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I’d like to invite you to come forward in faith. This Christmas season, you can know the love of God. Will you come?
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer