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God the Great Giver

God is the Great GIVER!

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Intro: We all are facing another Christmas season. Let's think about what Christmas brings to us each year:
 

1. It brings a time when families get together for fellowship, support and giving of joy, encouragements and, of course, gifts.
2. It is a time when people get out of their routines in life and notice others more. Even those less fortunate than our selves.
3. It is a time for unusual acts that reveal what makes people and the cultures we've grown up with warm and respectable and memorable. illustration: “Hallelujah chorus ‘flashed’ in a food court” (over 35.5 million views of this video since Dec 2010!)
4. It is a time when we think about the act of giving!



Webster defines giving this way:
1. To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.
[1913 Webster] s=http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/to+give+way+together

 

As I have said before, The gift of God's Salvation in Jesus Christ is the most unique ever offered anywhere by anyone! It is embodied in the Christmas message of a babe in a manger, but it is very much more than just those simple words.
 

Today let's look a little bit more into this "unspeakable gift." Mankind has always wanted to earn things received from God when He has intended to "give" them only.
 

Ac 8:20 tells the story of a sorcerer [one who practices magic or sorcery] named Simon. This is a very dangerous thing to do because the Bible warns highly of any attempt to connect to evil in this world.
Simon was converted after seeing Philip the evangelist preach the salvation message of Jesus Christ. The account in Acts chapter 8 says:

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
 

When he tried to get it by a purchase, Peter dealt with the error immediately and soberly, revealing that Simon's conversion wasn't genuine.


v. 20: "But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
 


YOU CANNOT PURCHASE GOD'S GIFT OF SALVATION. Paul the apostle later says,
 

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
 

Good works are certainly important to God for they will bring believers great rewards once they arrive into heaven, but these verses make it very clear WORKS CANNOT SAVE YOUR SOUL.
 

THAT IS BECAUSE THE PRICE WAS TOO HIGH FOR YOU OR I TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THIS AMAZING GIFT.
 

That is probably one of the reasons Paul later called it an "unspeakable gift," - kjv or "indescribable" (1 Cor 9:15) and an eternal gift:

Ro 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Earlier Jesus referred to it in various ways, for example:
 

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her [the Samaritan woman at the well], "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, `Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
 

Truly this is an amazing gift.
 

  • 1. You can receive it:
    John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
     
  • 2. You can give it away:
    John 4:41 "And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
     
  • 3. You benefit from giving it away:
    Philippians 4:1 ¶ Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy."
     
  • 4. The ones receiving it from you benefit also as is implied by the above verses as well as many others.
     
    • The believers at Thessalonica were great examples of reproduction.
    • 1 Th 1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 ¶ And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 "so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe."
       
  • 5. IT CAN BE "STIRRED UP" which we must believe it MULTIPLIES as we spread it around, as Paul tells Timothy!
    • 2Ti 1:5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."
       

Application:
 

What will you do this Year with the most amazing Gift ever given? It's very simple, JUST GIVE IT AWAY:

1. Accept personally God's Amazing gift by believing, then TELL SOMEONE else what you've done!

2. GIVE A TRACT.

3. SPEND SOME TIME GIVING IT TO SOMEONE ELSE THROUGH FRIENDSHIP BEARING AND CARING.

4. SHOW SOMEONE THE VALUE IT IS TO YOU THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS: READING, PRAYING, LOVING ONE ANOTHER, ETC...