December 7, 2014
Morning Service

Good morning! A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak today on Christmas.  As I was trying to get prepared for today I really struggled with getting together the Christmas story.  I was asking myself why am I having such a hard time with this?  I was sitting on the couch at home and something says to me “what do you have?”  Then it was like a light went off and all these thoughts came rushing in so fast that I couldn’t capture all of them.  So this morning I’m not going to cover the traditional Christmas story.  What I am going to talk about this morning is what some of the gifts we have because of Jesus and what he did for us.  I always find encouragement from the Bible, and this morning I am going to throw a lot of verses at you to show you some of the gifts we have not only during this Christmas season but every day.  I hope that you will find encouragement in these verses and see them as gifts for Christmas.

STRENGTH

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  No exceptions..ALL THINGS!

Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”   Do you have a mountain/problem today? Nothing is impossible with God!

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  We are strong!

PEACE

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” Jesus is here now and he’s going to set things right.

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.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  We win!

Psalm 27:1   The LORD is my light and my salvation;   whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? We should not be afraid of anything!

FORGIVENESS

1 John 1:9"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." What does the bible say about what happens to our sins? Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Hebrews 10:17: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.

Right after they nailed Jesus to the cross, what did he say? Luke 23:33-34  When they came to a place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Can you imagine this?  He had just been nearly beaten to death, despised, rejected, and he response was, forgive them…wow!

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 5:22-24 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Are you holding on to anything this morning, a grudge?  Somebody do you wrong, hurt you? Do yourself a favor and forgive them, let it go.  Move on!

BLESSINGS 

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  Have you been praying for something and it seems like nothing is happening? Then later, all of the sudden you get your blessing and it is greater than what you were praying for?  God doesn’t always give us an immediate answer to our prayers. He always knows what is best for us. He wants us to be happy.

Moses reminds the people of what they have by following the LORD. Deuteronomy 28:1-9  If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God. You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.  The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him.

Matthew 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

LOVE and SALVATION

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Love is powerful!

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.

Getting back to the question of “what do you have?”, some may see me and think that I have a lot, and some may see me and think that I have little, I know I am very blessed,  I know what I have, it’s the same thing you have.  We all have the same thing.  We have Jesus.

So, this Christmas and every day, God wants us to know that we are STRONG, we are NOT AFRAID, we are FORGIVEN, we are BLESSED, we are LOVED, and we are SAVED.  This year when someone asks what do you want for Christmas, tell them that you already have it, it wasn’t in a store and it wasn’t on sale, but it was free for anyone to have, it is perfect  and everlasting.

Lord thank you for your word and your Son, the gift of Christmas.