"The Gift-Giver!" (1st Sunday of Advent)

"The Gift-Giver!"

First Sunday of Advent 2010

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

November 28, 2010

God's word to His children for this first Sunday of Advent. From 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: 'They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.' ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"

Why do we give gifts at Christmas?

Why do you think? [Pull out your sermon notes and write down 3 reasons why you give gifts at Christmas and then turn to your neighbor and discuss; Play Christmas music.]

1.

2.

3.

So, why do we do it? I am going to be coming around and asking you what your cluster came up with. I want honest answers here…I know everyone has their church face on, but I want to know your motivation. At the end of the day why do you give gifts?

1. tradition (family, cultural)
2. it makes others happy
3. it makes me feel good
4. it’s fun (happiness and satisfaction)
5. I like to shop and this is a great excuse!

[Interview throughout the Worship Center]

In the church community and in our culture as a whole, so often we find ourselves doing things because that’s what we do; that’s what we always have done. We need to think critically about why we do and know why we do it.

Let's look at what the Bible teaches about giving good gifts...We give gifts because God first gave to us!

God is the greatest Gift-Giver ever, who gave us life! We have nothing without God! He gave each of us the most amazing gift of all—not only this physical body and all that we need to survive, but most importantly reconciliation through His Son Jesus Christ! God is our protector from all evil, our provider of all that we need, and the one who pardons us from sin for eternal life, our pardoner.

Our LORD Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John 3:16-17 proclaims, “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus is without hesitation stating that He is The Gift of God to the world…to all of humanity…that is you and me! That is the exclamation at the end of our Scripture lesson today, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Paul is shouting at the top of his lungs for the world to know that Jesus Christ is the Indescribable Gift! We love and give gifts because God is the great Gift-Giver. He is the one who has taught us about love. As the Bible teaches in 1 John 4:19, "We love because he first loved us."

The Gift that is beyond all human words to describe is Himself! The great I AM gave Himself so that we may know Him and be in a relationship for eternity with Him! The Bible teaches in Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God.” And again in 1:19: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”

This is the Christmas Miracle--the gift of the Incarnation—God who is spirit took on flesh--God humbled Himself to become a human through natural child birth…a helpless little baby born in a barn with animals and all that comes with them. He was completely dependent on Mary and Joseph…the God who all life is dependent on chose to become dependent on His creation in the frail form of a baby!

We give gifts because God first gave to us and second, because we are called to be like God!

We should give gifts because we are called and empowered to be like our Heavenly Father who only gives good gifts. Jesus Christ states in the Gospel of Matthew 7:9-12, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Friends, as children of God, we should not only give gifts, but we should give good gifts! As children of God we are striving in our lives to be more and more like our Heavenly Father and whenever we give good gifts to other it not only honors God, but it serves as a witness of God’s glory as the one true Gift-Giver!

James stated in 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.” When we choose to make decisions that lead us to be more and more like God, then each decision we make leads to a fuller life in Jesus Christ. God calls us to be like Jesus Christ and to live an Incarnational life!

Do you know what that means...to live an Incarnational Life? I talked about the Incarnation earlier…that was when God, who is Spirit, took on flesh and became a human being—that is the Christmas miracle. We partake in the Christmas miracle when we become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to this world! When we go to our friends, coworkers, and family with the same kind of love that God showed us in Jesus Christ! This is how God works through us…it is called “incarnational ministry!”

Are you a gift to your family, friends, coworkers? No matter how young or old you are, it’s never too late to start being a gift and giving gifts!

Are you having trouble selecting that perfect gift for someone? Last year, my wife forwarded me an email with some suggestions…maybe she was trying to give me a hint:

• The gift of listening. No interrupting, no planning your response. Just listening.

• The gift of affection. Being generous with affirming feelings, thoughts, and as appropriate with a hug.

• The gift of laughter. Sharing funny stories and jokes. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”

• The gift of a written note. Expressing in a brief, handwritten note your appreciation or affection. An email isn’t always enough…break out the old paper and pen and blow of the dust.

• The gift of a compliment. Sincerely saying, “You look great today” or “You are special” can bring a smile.

We are called and empowered to be like God and one life-giving choice you can make today is to give good gifts with the same kind of love and generosity; with a cheerful heart, with a smile on your face! Don’t give sparingly…give generously!

In our Scripture lesson, verses 6-7, the Apostle Paul challenges us to be this kind of gift. He states,

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Friends, life is the greatest gift God has given us and He gave us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ! Freely received, freely given! Become a witness of God’s Gift by giving it away in word and deed!

Are you living a life that reflects the love of God?

We give gifts because…God first gave to us; …we are called to be like God; and…lastly because we are giving thanks to God!

What are we giving thanks for? Listen to Paul’s proclamation in Romans 6:23, “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Shouldn’t our lives be overflowing with thanksgiving when we experience the love of the Gift-Giver, our heavenly Father?

We have been given the grace of God! When we live in thanksgiving to God for everything we have then we live lives of gratitude and generosity. And truly that is the context of Paul’s great exclamation in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Prior to this great exclamation, Paul states in versus 11-13, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

Here is the bottom line: We are a generous and joyful people! We are gift-givers ourselves because our daddy in Heaven is the greatest gift-giver of all. And we are to be like Him! This is who we are as the children of God. That means our conduct must catch up to who we are! We are called to live generous lives and to give cheerfully! Our lives bring glory to God because we are giving thanks to Him for who He is!

And the greatest compliment you can give anyone is imitation! Not just one day a year, but every day of our lives! It is my prayer that Christmas will not be the only time you give good gifts, but that we each will decide today that we will be generous and cheerful givers in every aspect of our lives--in our time, treasures, and talents.

Because that is the power of The Gift! Because this is who we are when we know the Gift-Giver as our loving heavenly Father who has made us His children through the indescribable gift of His Son Jesus Christ!

Our lives are forever changed by the love of God and the extravagance of His Indescribable Gift!

The gift of LIFE! The gift of LOVE! The gift of FORGIVENESS! The gift of SALVATION! The gift of GRACE! These are all gifts from the Gift-Giver!

Never forget: YOU CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD! You will be amazed at what God will do in your life when you live a generous lifestyle and learn to give cheerfully!

The Christmas miracle is all year long! If you receive this great gift today, then the Christmas miracle is yours for eternity!