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Thanks for all you have done for our family...
INTRODUCTION
My 2008 Christmas Series is “Christmas Gifts.” What to give our family and friends for Christmas? Never ending battle.
What can we buy or make, or re-gift? Get for the person who has everything. Or who should not have anything more. Jeannette makes
the annual list for our family.
ILLUS: Classic Christmas TV Shows- The Grinch that Stole Christmas where he learns that Christmas is more than presents, it
is from the heart. (Show Video)
What can we give each other that is not wrapped up in packages, boxes and bags? TITLE. Take them in order of appearance in New
Testament.
1. The Gift of Help Matthew 10:42
- “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink,
truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
- Proverbs 28:27 (NASB) “He who gives to the poor will never want...”
- Philippians 4:15-19 - The Philippian church gave a gift to help Paul.
- The gift of just giving some help to help someone in need.
- Acts 6 - Biblical Deacons - not sit in board meetings but labored. In the church family we should have formal
structures like Deacons/Deaconess who serve the church family. But any group or anybody can do this: men’s
groups, women’s groups, S.S. classes, families, individuals.
- Sometimes this is monetary, sometimes just a helping hand.
ILLUS: Money: Deacons fund, Adopt a Family, 2008 Free-will offerings. Helping Hand: mowing lawn, raking leaves,
shoveling snow, taking to a doctor, babysitting.
- A Christmas gift we can give each other: “How may I help you?” How can you physically help someone in our
church family this Christmas?
2. The Gift of Love Romans 12:10
- “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;”
- Love is wanting the best for others, a deep sense of care/compassion. Of course demonstrated:
QUOTE: Gary Chapman: The 5 Love Languages: “words of affirmation acts of service, quality
time, giving and receiving gifts, physical touch.” Love is a choice, seeking to meet the needs of others.
“When an action doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a greater expression of love” as long as
with right motives of honoring God and truly helping the one you love.
- This love is devotion, preference and honor - a surrender of ourselves to each other, serving each other, and
sacrificing for each other.
QUOTE: Adam Clark: “Consider all your brethren as more worthy than yourself; and let neither grief nor envy
affect your mind at seeing another honored and yourself neglected. This is a hard lesson...”
- A Christmas gift we can give each other: “I love you.”
3. The Gift of No Offense 2 Corinthians 6:3
- “giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,”
- not putting a stumbling block before other Christians, doing anything to harm our ministry together - hurt our
testimony, cause others to sin
- positive - being respectful, careful in our words and conduct
- We should give each other respect so that together as we proclaim the gospel, we have a credible testimony - the world
can’t find fault with us.
- What is our reputation in our community? How do we talk about each other out there? Or in here? Or at home?
ILLUS: One of saddest things to see is a divided church. Then a church split. I don’t believe this church
has, pray that it doesn’t.
- There are times we disagree on procedures and policies, we must still do so gently. If church discipline - with
humility as of Matthew 18.
- If offense is evident and not handled graciously-ministry suffers greatly
- Here is the Christmas gift we can give each other: “I am sorry.”
- James 5:16 “Confess your sins to one another...” Work hard at unity.
- If at anytime you and I cause offense or are offended - then next gift…
4. The Gift of Forgiveness Ephesians 4:32
- “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
- One of my absolute convictions in life is - forgiveness is absolutely essential in all relationships. Thank you for
forgiving me. The heaviest things to carry is a grudge, it harms the person who possess it the most.
- Think of how much God through Christ has forgiven us, we can others.
- 3 verses up: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good
for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
ILLUS: Sometimes it takes a third party, counseling, always prayer. Not by email. Face to face is best, phone is OK
to begin but not end - you have to dialogue - two way conservation.
- The Christmas gift we can give here is “I forgive you.” Work hard at grace giving.
5. The Gift of Thanks Ephesians 5:4
- “and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving
of thanks.”
- There is also a whole list of what not to give each other - watch your language, jokes, gossip and critical words
about others. Don’t say something you don’t want repeated back to you. What not to give.
ILLUS: Dad taking me to Bristow Café - watch your language, preacher here
- What we can give this Christmas to each other - look for opportunities to thank each other, and actually say
“Thank you.”
ILLUS: Thank you for helping me help my parents, prayers, gifts. I thank you for this year of ministry. Thanks for
being a part of this church, supporting it.
6. The Gift of the Word of God 2 Timothy 3:14-17
- “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have
learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that
leads to salvation through faith…in Christ Jesus...”
- Young Timothy had the word of God given to him by his mother and grandmother. In our families, to our neighbors, to
each other - give the word of God. Give copies, quote, help others find passages.
ILLUS: Gideon Ministry - giving the Word of God. Dad is a Gideon, Gave NT at Dad’s funeral. We always check
the motels and hospitals I am at. We have Bibles upstairs to give away to any who need - usually Awana kids.
- We thus need to be somewhat familiar with the Bible - favorite passages, or memorized texts: The Christmas gift is
“Allow me to encourage you with this Word from God...”
- Several times in recent weeks I quoted: Hebrews 4:16: “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the
throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
7. The Gift of Blessing 1 Peter 3:9
- “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the
very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
- Imitate God who “blesses” you by blessing someone else. This is not saying “Bless you” to
someone who sneezes.
- Rather when you obey God in faith, He will bless us so that you and I may in turn bless others. In the OT, the
father’s blessing was irrevocable. God’s covenants were formal blessings with future promises.
QUOTE: Gary Smalley and John Trent book The Blessing: Blessings are “important vehicles for
communicating a sense of identity, meaning, love, and acceptance.” And a blessing is not just words of
praise, but promise, with meaningful touch, and an active commitment to fulfill the blessing.
- The Christmas gift you can give is a blessing: “May God bless you,” and all the previous 6 gifts should be
a part of this blessing as you are seeking to do anything necessary to fulfill a positive future for the one you love.
CONCLUSION
7 Christmas gifts that don’t need packages, boxes and bags, they are gifts from the heart. These are not just Christmas gifts
- give them all year. You have already given these many times. I have seen us given this year.
One of the indicators of healthy churches is a caring congregation. We are care for each other, not just the pastor who can not get
to everyone all the time. On an average Sunday morning I connect with about half of you - but I trust you all are connecting with
someone each service.
God is at work here. We all carry burdens that can be heavy, these gifts can lighten the loads: Help, love, no offense,
forgiveness, thanks, the word of God, blessing. This new year - more our own personal challenge, added economic issues, social
issues in our culture. Let us rejoice that we have already given these gifts this year, let us commit to continue.
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