December, 2023

Delivering the gift

What are we willing to do in order to deliver the special gift we have for others?

I.  The Wise Men at the birth of the Saviour – Honour

The difficult journey of about four months was based on the Prophecies of the Word of God, and using their own knowledge of astronomy, noting a star in the heavens that they had no knowledge of prior to this.  This unusual phenomenon may have led the to research the Scriptures, reading particularly the prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel.

Matthew 2:1-2  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

What we want to say about them here is simply that these men began their journey by faith based on the knowledge that they had of God’s Word and of His creation.

Let’s learn of the gift presented by –

II.  Mary at the supper for Jesus and the disciples –  Love and Worship

The declaration of Mary’s dedication to the Lord is seen as she presented her most precious gift to Him while she had the opportunity.

John 12:1-7  Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

Judas betrayed Jesus for 75 pence.  The gift of worship is of much greater value than the willful greed of and evil and proud heart.

Mary put on boldness and humility to give the gift of love and worship.

III.  Paul – the Gospel to the Gentile world

The determination to take the gift of the Gospel to the world –

2 Corinthians 4:1-18  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;……….. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake………. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul appropriated the strength of the Lord in order to preach the gospel –

2 Corinthians 10:16 “To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you…

According to his testimony –

1 Corinthians 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

We learn much from these people, and we also are instructed by the fellowship of –

IV.  The Gentiles churches – relief to the saints in Judaea.

Their decision to send help to the brethren in need revealed their trust in the Lord, which is recorded in –

2 Corinthians 8:1-5  Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

They had truly given themselves unto the Lord and fulfilled His Word in their lives –

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Loving the brethren as Jesus loved them, even though they had not seen them.

In conclusion, we learn of the most important gift of all, given by –

V.  Jesus at the cross –  Salvation

  A.  The Purpose of this gift –

    1.  The purpose of this gift is to glorify –

John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

    2.  To provide and offer salvation to all mankind –

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:16-18  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

  B.  The Promise given.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  C . The Plan revealed.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Matthew 20:18-19  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

  D.  The Perseverance needed.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

In conclusion –

What am I willing to do, to declare the wonderful Gift of God to the world?

I must know Him as my Saviour, Then –

Like the Wise Men, bring Him honour by studying His Word and stepping out by faith

Like Mary, giving my best unto Him, in humility and by boldness,  reveal my love and worship

Like Paul, counting myself crucified with Him, putting away those things that are past and putting before me a world in need of hearing the gospel.

Like the churches, encouraging one another and working in fellowship one with another to accomplish the Lord’s command “Go ye therefore and teach all nations…”

What will you decide to do today?  Where do you fit in the examples given?