Wonderful Teaching

God's Great Gift
Notes by:  D. J. Reed

 

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!  NAB
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thank God for his Son—a gift too wonderful for words! NLT

 

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  NIV.

 

The tradition of giving and receiving of gifts during this season was all started by the most generous person of all, He also happens to be the maker of all things He is also know as The Almighty.

 

The gifts He has given started it all.  He is the most incredible, awesomely generous Person you will ever meet. True to His nature He has given us the most astonishing gifts.  It is appropriate that we unwrap some of these gifts this morning. 

 

These are gifts that God is calling out for you to come and get this morning.
It is to be highly recommended that you come and get them.

 

We exchange gifts at this time of the year, as we look at the gifts God has given us, let us look at the kinds of gifts we can bring that excite Him most, that are the most meaningful gifts.

 

The most amazing thing about the gifts God has given us is the motivation for His giving. The motive of totally selfless love.
In this He shows us the meaning of true love, and how to be truly great lovers.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte:
"Alexander the Great and my achievements will eventually come to nought -
But the works of Jesus Christ will transcend and supersede all that we have ever done; because what we have done was accomplished by force - But what He has done has been accomplished by LOVE."

 

1.THE GIFT OF HIS SON

 

Firstly, the most amazing gift ever given is the gift of His Son
       
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. NIV

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that  whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV
 
Matthew 20:28  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV
      
John 6:32-35
 
2.THE  GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE
        
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not  from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. NIV

 

Eternal life:  Depth & Duration – It's quality and it's quantity. 

 

WHAT DOES ETERNAL LIFE REALLY MEAN?

 

Receives it's Life – DNA from another world
This kind of life is sustained by an atmosphere from another world, - When we truly worship we breath the atmosphere of "ANOTHER WORLD"
If nourished by food from another world – When we draw our inner nourishment – feeding/filling of the inner man from the WORD we are nourished by food from another world –See John 6:33
Lives by the rules of another world – "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"  When we pray this we are asking that the rules of ANOTHER WORLD become the rules of this world.
Reproduces itself by reproductive cycles from another world – Being born again from above.
Has a quality of life of beings from another world.
Has an energy source from another world – See Romans 8:11
Submits to a Government from another world – Heaven
Reveals a HIGHER ORDER OF LIFE – We are aliens in this world
  
Ephesians 2:12-13
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. NKJV
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. NKJV

 

In Salvation God spanned the light years that separated us from Him, and transported us into another world – FAR from the other/old one;
He also impregnated us with the DNA/the DIVINE genetic make up.

 

1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. NIV

 

3.THE GIFT OF REPENTANCE

 

The God given ability and motivation to turn your life around; To reach out to God to help you radically change your values, your views on life, your attitudes, your activities & your value. 

 

Acts 5:31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that  he might  give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. NIV

 

Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. NIV

 

2 Timothy 2:25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of truth NIV   

 

    
Jeremiah 32:39  I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. NIV

 

See Acts 2:37-38; John 13:3, 5

 

4.   THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

Romans 5:17-18 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. NIV

 

You may not perceive your need of this gift.  Maybe you think you OK on the righteousness chart.  But the reality of this issue is that we are all totally out of this essential commodity if we want to have any meaningful/quality relationship with God.
    
5.  THE GIFT OF PEACE

 

John 14:27 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. NIV

 

God's answer to the United Nations and the "Peace Accords"

 

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  NIV

 

6.  THE GIFTS WE MUST BRING

 

The gifts He wants us to bring, some surprising ones:

These are not gifts that He needs, He has need of nothing we can give him, the only reason He wants us to give anything to Him, is because we need to give these things up in order for all His gifts He gives us to work.       

 

For instance if my computer crashes, is no longer working I have to give it to the guy at the repair shop.

 

God has given us a "Manual" that explains to us how to "use" this gift of eternal life.  It is important to read the manual properly, with an un-jaundiced eye.  Many people say they have tried it and it did not work, no wonder they never took the time to really read the "Manual" – the Bible.

 

Even if Albert Einstein were alive today and you were to give him the latest high-tek computer to help him expound on his theory of relativity, he would need to read the manual, do some computer training,
or this computer would never work for him, he would find it useless.

 

G K Chesterton:
"The problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting: But that it has been found difficult and left untried."

 

  6.1  Our sin Rom 3:23;  Isa. 64:6

 

  6.2  Your heart –

 

           Proverbs 23:26a My son, give me your heart NIV
                                                                          
  6.3  Your sorrows/burdens

 

       Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
       and I will give you rest. NIV

 

   6.4  The Control of your life.  Make Him the CEO of your life;
After all He is the CEO of all of heaven and He is the CEO of the Future Government of Earth.

 

Conclusion:

 

Have you come for your gifts? 
Are you aware that they are here, under the Tree of Calvary?
What have you brought to your King today?
The Eco-System of the Kingdom

 

In geographic ecosystems there are some essential elements that need to be available in abundance for the life to flourish.  For flora and fauna to flourish there needs to be an abundant supply of Sunlight and Warmth, of Water, of Nourishing Minerals and Nutrients in the soil, there needs to be the Right Atmosphere – Good Clean Air with lots of Oxygen.

 

In the ecology of the Kingdom of God there are also some essential elements that need to be in abundance, and not in short supply:

 

The Light of Illumination of the Mind and the Spirit of Man by the Spirit;
The Warmth of Love from The Father above and from the Son's Rays;
The Water of the Cleansing and Washing God provides through Salvation and Sanctification;
The Nourishment of the Word of God [In Samuel's day the word of God was scarce -  ] [Milk and Meat].
The Atmosphere of the Spirit, God's Breath, The Atmosphere of Love in the Church – the Oxygen of Heaven.
And just as in Nature these things are not static, but on the move,  Plants grow, animals and birds multiply, and move about.

 

GOD is the Primary source of the supply of all of these essentials.
But it is up to US to keep the eco-system in motion.

 

We have to pass on what God gives us.