Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/86252/gods-gift/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] What is the real gift? The real gift of Christmas? The real gift that God has given the real gift for the world today?

[0:23] ! People scarcely give a passing thought for the coming of Christ.! Yet at this time of year we do not have a passing thought for the coming of Christ. But this time of year we do know that there is some acknowledgement of it. But think of the gift of God. Who is the gift of God?

[0:36] It's Christ our Saviour and Lord, as he told the woman at the well. The gift of God! He says, if you knew the gift of God you'd know that really I am the gift of God, is what he was saying.

[0:51] He is the gift, the maker of it all. Who took form as a helpless, dependent newborn. As we referred to then, earlier.

[1:04] The maker of all was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.

[1:15] How can we express this wonder? In 2 Corinthians 9 verse 15, Paul says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. His unspeakable gift.

[1:28] Christ is the gift. Consider the unspeakable dimension of this gift that he has given to the world.

[1:39] God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Unspeakable in its worth. Unspeakable in its joy. We read of joy unspeakable and full of glory.

[1:53] Joy unspeakable, unutterable. We can't put it into words. We can't describe it with human words. Consider this morning. Consider the great quality of this gift.

[2:06] We all can have gifts of varying qualities and varying value. But really, it's the love behind the gift that counts, isn't it?

[2:17] It's not so much the gift. But yet, of this gift, it's unspeakable. The very son of God. God gave his only begotten. The great privilege of this gift.

[2:29] That he would give it to the world. To you, to me. Given to you. This gift beyond compare. The great privilege of this gift. Consider that for a moment.

[2:41] Consider the blessings that he has given. Right from Genesis through Revelation, he's been giving. In Genesis 1, verse 29. The first thing God gave, he says, Behold, I have given you every herb.

[2:56] And then right at the back of the book, Revelation 21, verse 6, he says, I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of life freely.

[3:08] He gives the soil. He gives the seed. He gives the rain. Think of what he's given. Think today. Consider today. Reflect today. What our Saviour gave.

[3:19] And still gives. He gave his back to the smiters. Isaiah 50, verse 6. I gave my back to the smiters. And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.

[3:33] I hid not my face from shame and spitting. I gave my back for the smiters, he says. He gave and he gives still. He gives his love to the hateful.

[3:45] He gives his touch to the untouchable. He gives his grace to the unworthy. He gives his life to the lifeless. Acts 17, verse 25, it says, Neither is worship with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth life to all.

[4:04] Our very breath. Our very life. He giveth to all life and breath and all things. All things. We can thank him for all that he has given.

[4:17] He gives peace to the restless. He says, My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

[4:31] He says, Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. My peace I give unto you. I give unto you.

[4:43] I give unto you rest. He gives light to the darkness. He gives liberty to the captives. He gives victory to the defeated. Paul writes, But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[4:57] He gives victory today. Victory. You're more than a conqueror. He gives power to the weak. He gives sonship. He gives relationship. In John 1.12 he says, But as many as received him, to them gave thee the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

[5:19] He gives power. He gives sonship. Most of all, he gives himself. Himself. Galatians 1.4 it says, Who gave himself for our sins.

[5:37] That he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. Who gave himself for our sins.

[5:49] What a gift. What a gift. What a gift today. 1 Timothy 2.6 Who gave himself a ransom for all. To be testified in due time.

[6:01] He gave himself a ransom for all. That payment that had to be paid. Who gave himself for us. Titus 2.14 That he might redeem us from all iniquity.

[6:17] And purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Galatians 2.20 Paul writes, I am crucified with Christ.

[6:31] Nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live. I live. By the faith of the Son of God.

[6:44] Who loved me. And gave himself for me. The Son of God. Who loved me. And gave himself for me.

[6:57] That is the gift. That is the gift. The unspeakable gift. His love he gives. His love. His love to the unlovely.

[7:10] His love to the undeserving. His love he gives. God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten Son.

[7:23] His love he gives. Joyfully. Freely. Fully. Unconditionally. God's ultimate gift. Given. Given.

[7:34] And received by man. Is his salvation. His salvation. So loved that he gave. That whosoever.

[7:45] Believeth on him. Should not perish. But have. Everlasting. Life. Salvation. Is. A beautiful gift isn't it.

[7:57] Have you received it. Have you trusted him. Romans 6.23. For the wages of sin is death. But. The gift. Of God. Is. Eternal.

[8:08] Life. Through. Jesus Christ. Our Lord. The gift of God. This word gift here. It's got the. Sense of free gift. Charisma. The grace gift. An undeserved gift.

[8:19] Of something given to a man. Unearned. And unmerited. Not something you can work for. Pay for. Earn. Deserve. None of that. It's something given. Given. Given.

[8:30] Given. And unmerited. Not something you can work for. Pay for. Earn. Deserve. None of that. It's something given. Given. Given.

[8:41] Freely given. To sinful man. To sinful woman. From God's. Abounding grace. It's something we could never have achieved. Nothing we could ever have attained. By our own efforts. Or striving.

[8:52] Or working. We cannot earn it. It's the opposite of wages. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin. The wages of sin.

[9:03] The wages of sin. The wages of sin. it it's the opposite of wages the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Ephesians 2 8 the gift of God it's wonderful isn't it if we could just dwell on heaven for a moment if we could just consider and reflect the abundant generosity of God that he would give it to us give it to the undeserving as we are undeserved what is your response to the gift of God what is your response what is your action to his gift what is your application of this truth the psalmist cried out psalm 116 verse 12 what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me what shall I render what shall I give to the Lord for all his benefits toward me we can't really give anything in comparison can we so that unspeakable gift that undeserved gift do we just give our leftovers to God do we just give our leftovers leftovers someone wrote leftovers are such humble things we would not serve to a guest and yet we serve them to our Lord who deserves the very best we give to him leftover time stray minutes here and there leftover cash we give to him such few coins as we can spare we give our youth unto the world to hatred lust and strife then in declining years we give to him the remnant of our life don't leave it that you just give leftovers to God just what you can afford what you can spare just a token glib kind of glib kind of moment or two give your heart your life your soul to him do we stop in gratitude to think of all these benefits towards us or do we not really give much thought to that just a passing thought to give him thanks like Paul thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift unspeakable unspeakable a gift we can't describe we can't communicate we can't express with our words whatever language we speak we can't describe his love his goodness his grace his gift shouldn't we be thankful shouldn't we be thankful let's be grateful sometimes we don't have that gratitude we always find something to complain about something we don't have something we lack something we lack something we strive for we always have there's always more that we can have of this world's toys and trinkets and and attractions but what really counts is faith isn't it what really counts is our love for Christ salvation that's what matters and thank him thank him have thankfulness for example thank you Lord for little things the things of every day a bird's song

[13:15] clear a blossom sweet the green grass growing at my feet a little child at play I thank you Lord for little things the sunsets red gold hue the starlit sky the buzz of a bee the spreading branches of a tree these gifts have come from you I thank you Lord for little things the hand clasp of a tree these gifts have come from you I thank you Lord for little things the hand clasp of a tree a friend a happy smile a happy smile a cheering word a bit of song or verse I've heard all these and more you send these gifts you give are precious gifts I thank you for each one but far above all else you gave stands Calvary's cross an empty grave the gift of Christ your son thank you for that today thank you the day by day blessings the things we take thank you for granted count your blessings count your blessings name the one by one especially salvation do you have that gift that's the most vital isn't it and what we are is God's gift to us what we become is our gift to God make your life a gift make your life his life make your life a living sacrifice what can I give you can give your repentance you can give your presence you can give your presence you can give your worship through Matthew the folk that worshipped him they gave him worship didn't they you can give him your life give him your love give him your heart as our Lord tells us in Mark 12 30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first commandment just one sentence and yet so rich so absolute isn't it your all give your all to him today won't you rededicate your life to him today rededicate your life to him today rededicate your life to him I know last Sunday night someone wanted to rededicate your life to rededicate your life to rededicate your life to rededicate their life to the Lord and we prayed with them as they took that step of trusting Christ and it's always a great moment to reflect on the gift isn't it of as the world calls it Christmas but as we know in reality it's the birth of our Lord and Master our Saviour our precious wonderful Saviour

[16:13]  God is a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of a dream of