2. Give More

Welcome to the second part of our series, Advent—Preparing for Christmas. If you want to have the best Christmas ever, one needs to prepare, that is what Advent is all about. Advent is about creating space in our busy schedules and preparing our lives to receive Jesus. Last Sunday we focused on a specific starting point; to have the best Christmas ever starts when we worship Jesus fully. We see this is the gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth whether it was Mary, the shepherd, the angels, the wise men or Simon or Anna, whenever they came into the presence of Jesus the worshipped. For us to have the best Christmas ever we need humble hearts and repentant lives the honor Jesus as both our Savior and Lord. So, were you able to practice an advent fast this week? I know a couple of you who mentioned what you are were going to fast from. Were you able to get out a serve someone this week? How about start and Advent Bible reading plan. Remember, it’s not too late.

Okay. That brings us to our focus for this morning. Are you ready? If you want to have the best Christmas ever you need to worship fully and give more. If you have a Bible or device, find Matthew chapter one. If you have the YouVersion Bible app, find Events. Then look for Iowa City Church. All the sermon notes and Scriptures are there. I also has a really good Advent Bible reading plan for you there.

Here we pick up Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth. Mary has been pledged to marry Joseph. Everything is going as planned for both Mary and Joseph, when God intervenes and changes the course of their lives. Let’s read about what happens.

Matthew 1:18–25 NIV

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

So Joseph is about ready to give up on this relationship with Mary…and who among us wouldn’t? She is not what we thought. But then God communicates to Joseph to let him better understand what is going on. Here is what God communicates to Joseph. First, Mary hasn’t been unfaithful. Instead, the Holy Spirit has placed a baby in her womb. God then tells Joseph what the baby will be called. This baby is to be named, “Jesus”. The name Jesus means, “God saves.” And that is precisely what God tells Joseph, but he specifies what Jesus will save his people from…sin.

Then God points Joseph back to the prophet Isaiah, specifically Isaiah chapter 7, where there is is interesting tidbit. That God would save his people from their sin by God himself coming to earth. Take a moment and settle into that truth for a moment. God is saving the people from their sin by coming to earth to give his life. What is the most valuable thing that God gave us? God gave us his presence. The most valuable thing God gave us was His presence.

Now think about this for a moment. In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. He even sectioned off a part of his creation, called it the Garden of Eden and he place Adam and Eve in that place. He supplied all of their needs and gave them everything that they needed. But we rejected his gifts…we rejected his goodness…we rejected his generosity and we rebelled against him. But instead of giving up, instead of starting over God decides that he can make things right, but to fix the problem of sin no material gift will do. A partridge in a pear tree…nope; a new car with a big bow on it…not going to happen; a big screen TV…no way. The only way to fix the problem here on earth was for God to give us his presence, in the form of a man. The greatest gift God has ever given us was and is his presence!

Let me stop for a moment and give you something to think about, especially if you are a skeptic regarding whether or not there is a God or if Jesus was in fact God. Of all the stories, myths and legends regarding other gods there are stories of gods coming to earth. There are in fact stories of gods becoming like men. But in those stories the gods who become like men either a) do something evil, sinful or mischievous; b) destroy something or kill someone; or c) they show their heavenly power and might to get their way. Yet the account of Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God, and who I believe with all of my heart is the Son of God, is radically different than any other. This account of God coming to earth is done in love and compassion, to save people. Jesus was humble, had nothing, and loved those who were hurting and lost. The idea of the Emmanuel is one of the reasons I choose to believe in Jesus Christ because there is no god like the One True Living God! God gave us everything because he gave of himself, he gave his presence, and he gave relationally.

So I want to take this moment right now and make this very clear. If you want to have the best Christmas ever, it starts when you enter into a relationship with Immanuel. God has offered his very best to you and he is waiting for you to receive it. Listen, there is no joy at Christmas if there is no forgiveness. There is no peace in your life as long as long as there is guilt. There is no hope in your life as long as there is fear. For you to have a relationship with Jesus, you must receive him. Otherwise, it’s just like a gift setting unopened under a tree.

Whenever we have Christmas, one of our kids is the Christmas elf. It’s their job to make sure that all of the presents are removed from under the tree and distributed to the rightful recipient. My kids are good! They would never, ever leave a gift up opened and unattended under the Christmas tree. But for some of you here this morning, God has offered his presence. He has offered a relationship to you, and yet under the tree the present sits. I know that here this morning there are some of you who have never opened the gift of a personal relationship with Jesus. If you want to have the best Christmas ever, it starts when you receive the greatest gift ever given to you…Jesus. At the conclusion of the service, if you are ready to receive Jesus and put your faith in him, confess him as Lord of your life and then be clothed with Christ through baptism, I would love to meet with you up here. God has given you a very personal gift…receive it; accept Jesus as your Savior.

Now, there is something amazing that happens when you receive the presence of Jesus in your life. Your sins are forgiven! You are given eternal life! And, here is a forgotten part…well let me allow Jesus to tell you himself. If you have your Bibles, turn in them to John 14. Jesus has completed the Last Supper with disciples. Judas is on his way to get the posse to arrest Jesus. The Savior doesn’t have a lot of time, so he communicates these important truths to his disciples. Pick up with verse 23.

John 14:23–27 NIV

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

There is a phrase I want you to highlight. “I do not give to you as the world gives.” I think this is an importance truth for us to understand. Jesus is not going to give to us as we think about giving presents. He’s not going to give us a gift that is going to break or that is cheap. He’s not going to give us that fancy TV or car. Jesus gives us something better. To those who love Jesus by obeying his teachings experience the presence of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

This is an important mindset shift we need to make when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. We seek things from him, when in fact, he has given us the greatest thing possible: his presence. As we walk in step with him, and seeking to obey him, the presence of the Trinity goes with us. The apostle even extends this to the church.

1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

We the church, we are the body of Christ. We are his hands, his feet, is voice, and his love. We are the presence of Christ in this world and so it is our responsibility to act as he would act; to love as he would love, and to offer our world not more information, judgment or condemnation, but instead offer to the world a relationship through our service.

So what does that have to do with giving more? When we are challenged to give more we immediately think, alright who do I write the check out to? Okay, what do I have to buy? To have the best Christmas ever doesn’t require us to write a check, but it does ask that we give our presence. It demands that we give of ourselves relationally. If you want to have the best Christmas ever you need to give more…more of yourself!

What does giving more of yourself look like? Well, here are some options to consider:

1. Give of Your Time – our most valuable commodity is our time. To physically go and talk to someone has so much value. The walking across the street to talk to your neighbor makes a huge difference. Going to a nursing home and talking to people is personal and it brings the presence of Jesus into that place. Dads, spend time with your kids…don’t just give them a toy that occupies their time so you won’t be bothered. Give of your time. Mom’s quite talking on the phone or Facebooking. Spend time with your husband and your kids. Give your time, and give to others the presence of Jesus.

2. Give of Yourself. Money, gift cards or cheap plastic nick knacks have nothing on your service or ministry to someone else. Take the presence of Jesus and shovel your neighbor’s side walk. Represent Jesus by sharing with your neighbors a plate of cookies and an nice card. Take our Savior to a place in town that need volunteers. You have the best thing in the world to give…the presence of Jesus.

3. Give Sacrificially. Jesus gave by sacrificing his life. God gave by sacrificing his son. It cost them something. How can you be sacrificially generous? Typically, a lot of people give well within their means. In other words, they don’t often feel the loss of the gift. What is something that you could give that costs you something? When we give in this way, we are literally representing the type of generosity Jesus showed us.

You see, when we give more of ourselves, when we give of our presence in the lives of others we leave a lasting impression. Why? Because we share with each person the presence of Jesus Christ. To have the best Christmas ever give more of yourself and in so doing share the presence of Christ.

Alfed Nobel, a Swedish chemist, made his fortune by inventing powerful explosives and licensing the formula to governments to make weapons. One day Nobel’s brother died, and a newspaper by accident printed an obituary notice for Alfred instead of the deceased brother.

It identified him as the inventor of dynamite who made a fortune by enabling armies to achieve new levels of mass destruction. Nobel had the unique opportunity to read his own obituary in his lifetime and to see how he would be remembered. It’s eerily similar to Scrooge in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. He was shocked to think that this was what his life would add up to: he would be remembered as a merchant of death and destruction.

Nobel decided to take his fortune and use it to establish awards for accomplishments contributing to life rather than death. And today, Nobel indeed is remembered for his contribution to peace and human achievement—not explosives.

When it’s all said and done and they write and obituary about you what kinds of things will it say? Will it talk about all the nice little plastic toys you gave? Or the gaming systems you gave? Or even the diamond necklace? Or will the obituary write about how you gave or yourself and how you shared the presence of Jesus by how you served, loved, and were relationally available to people.

Do you want to have the best Christmas ever? Why not take a cue from God and give more…more of yourself.