It is the last Sunday before Christmas. I have just walked into my house after listening to my pastor, Mark Lindsey of First Baptist Church in Big Spring, Texas, preach one of the most compelling Christmas sermons I have ever heard. (And I’ve heard more than a few!)
The title of the sermon was “The Greatest Gift.” Of course, the Baby in the manger was (and is) the ‘Greatest Gift” ever given. Pastor Lindsey’s sermon supported his thesis, using John 3:16 as his text.
Most of us tend to think about gifts at Christmas. And if we truly love someone, we want to give them “the perfect gift.”
So the pastor described the Perfect Gift:
- It’s Personal.
For example, if a man gives his wife a riding lawnmower for Mother’s Day, he might not receive gratitude in line with the cost of the gift. Granted, if the wife is in charge of yard care, it may be the perfect gift. But for many women, a riding lawnmower would be about as welcome as a “Hook ‘em Horns” T-shirt (from the University of Texas) would be to an Aggie lover (from Texas A&M.)
On the other hand, if a church member walks into the pastor’s office with a bag of his favorite snacks, that church member has proved his or her personal attention to the pastor’s tastes and given accordingly. That gift is personal.
The phrase, “For God so loved the world…,” is very personal. Our Heavenly Father who made us and sustains us is not off in another part of the universe, tending to a remote solar system. No, He lives among us, loving us, listening to our prayers, and meeting our needs. His giving of Himself to us is infinitely personal.
- It’s practical.
At this point, Pastor Lindsey asked a question. “What would a bald guy say if you gave him a comb?” The bald guy’s response: “I’ll never part with it.” I won’t detail the pastor’s other example too specifically in case the long-ago, far-away giver of that inedible cake might read this blog. But the point is that a perfect gift has to be of use to the recipient.
The phrase, “…that he gave his one and only Son…,” describes the most practical gift of all time. We can make this claim because the Apostle Paul explains in the book of Romans that we’re all hopeless sinners (Romans 3:23), and the result (wages) of our sin is death (Romans 6:23.) In other words, we are all doomed. Unless…
Because our Gracious Loving God chose to send His Son into the world on a search and rescue mission, we can choose to latch onto Him, like a Divine Lifesaver, and turn doom into salvation. (Romans 10:13) You can’t get more practical than that!
- It’s pleasant.
Ever since the beginning of time, humankind has looked for and longed for God. It has been well said that we have a God-shaped vacuum in our soul that will never be filled until it finds rest in the one and only true God. Unfortunately, many people follow this deep hunger into false religions, trusting in fake gods.
The phrase, “…that whoever believes in him …,” proves that God recognizes our quest. In fact, He is the One who created us with a hunger for Himself. And because He is wise beyond our comprehension, He knows every person He has created and how to perfectly fill each soul with peace, joy, and love.
What could be more pleasant than to have this ancient, aching hunger satisfied?
- It’s permanent.
Many years ago, my pastor received a tricycle for Christmas. It was a magnificent gift. I expect he rode that tricycle all around the neighborhood. But this morning, he said, “I have no idea where that tricycle is today.” And he described a time when a beautiful ring accidentally got thrown out with the Christmas trash and was lost forever.
Let’s face it, permanence is a trait beyond the capacity of almost every gift.
But the phrase, “…shall not perish but have eternal life,” reassures us that because God’s Gift is eternal, we can live forever too. Although we live in a dying world among lost souls, we who have accepted God’s Greatest Gift are already alive in eternity.
What a miracle! It’s permanent.
In closing.
The pastor’s closing was an invitation to receive God’s Greatest Gift.
New life in Jesus Christ is available to anyone who wants Him. Anyone who is lonely. Anyone who is broken. Anyone who is longing to satisfy some indefinable hunger and thirst in their soul.
Rest assured, He wants you more than you want Him. Read my blog “Highway to Heaven” if you want to know how to walk into the arms of Jesus Christ, God’s Greatest Gift to the world, and be with Him forever.
Disclaimer.
I don’t have a photographic memory, and I’ve had to fill in some areas where I don’t remember the pastor’s exact words. However, I wrote down his points, and I’ve remembered many of his illustrations. So, I’m fairly certain you’ve received the gist of the sermon.
My apologies to the pastor if I have wrongly represented him in any way. And I hasten to add that my bumbling efforts leave much to be desired. Please don’t judge the pastor’s eloquence by any poor word choices or clumsy phrasing on my part.
Christmas Eve with the Family
Christmas is the wondrous celebration of the birth of our Savior. Churches around the world celebrate the personal, practical, pleasant, permanent gift of God throughout this season.
If you are free on Christmas Eve, you are warmly invited to join the church family of First Baptist Church, Big Spring, at 6:00 P.M. for a service honoring the Baby of Bethlehem.
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Here are links to my blog indexes, so please click one and keep reading!
My Books, Workbooks, and Fun Books
Knowing the Unknowable One
Opening the Treasure Chest
Walking Heart-to-Heart with God
Walking Heart-to-Heart with Each Other
Fighting the Good Fight of Faith
Christian Mysteries: Why I Love Them!
List of Some Nonfiction Books You Don’t Want to Miss
Index of Assorted Topics
