I once had a roll of pennies – a young man had a ten-dollar
bill. I showed him how heavy my
roll was, then broke it and showed him I had many while he only had one, he
immediately wanted to trade! I shared with him the reality and told him that
many believe that outward appearance equals something more precious. From there
I shared the gospel; the burden to purchase salvation is easy for us.
Many try
to carry the burden of works for salvation, which may appear on the outside
more precious. Works are very heavy and will never bridge to the Lord. Works
always fall short, Grace is light for us, but was very heavy for Christ. The
danger of how easy Grace is for us can lead us to not treasure it for how
precious it truly is.
We have talked about the cost of Christmas; in closing I
want to talk about the “gain” that Christmas is to those that accept!
·
(1) Authority - We are here on business for the
King
This does not mean some political intimidation which some seem
to think it is, nor is this being obnoxious in our message. We stand for the
Truth and will not be sheepish about it.
Acts 26:1–3 Agrippa
said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched
out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the
Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my
defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs
and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
Acts 26:28
Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a
Christian.”
We do not represent ourselves we represent Him. So many may
laugh and scorn us, but we need not take it personal, their fight is with the
One we represent.
For example:
·
Creation – God states planned and created – If
someone else wants to build theories that they say shows we can from an
accident, that is their right.
·
Historians have laughed at Sodom and Gomorrah,
yet archeological digs at the kingdom of Ebla prove that Ebla traded with them. Skeptics say
there is no evidence left of those cities. God stated He wiped them off the
face of the earth! Should we expect to find remains?
·
Stars and planets just happened, yet Scripture
not only states how, but describes the shape of the earth, the fact of space and
exhibits a design that would be impossible from a Big Bang.
For many this reality will only hit when it is too
late. The woman who nursed the agnostic, Professor J. H. Huxley, during his
last illness reported that as he lay dying, he suddenly looked up at something
that no one else could see and said “So it is true.”
This is not something we rejoice in, it is a reality that
drives us to help all know that we all have an appointment with the One that
made us.
·
We also have the authority of the Word of God.
2 Timothy
3:16 All Scripture is inspired by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness;
§ Morals
– God’s desire for what’s best for society is one marriage between a woman and
a man. Our society has proven to live contrary leads to a disaster. Scripture
teaches forgiveness, integrity, charity and over coming hatred with love.
Humans seek vengeance, will do what it takes to get ahead, hoard and consume
wealth, and look out for #1. Is it a wonder that our world is broke? Even those
that claim to follow God, but have created a religion succumb to the world’s
ways. The Scriptures never lead to “churchianity” but to a living, growing
relationship with God…where when we sin, because we are still sinners…the
Scriptures lead us to do the correct thing.
·
(2)
Your Identity - The real you!
Genesis 1:26 Then
God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let
them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the
cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth.”
The gain to those that accept Christmas is to be what God
intended us to be; beings that draw their worth and esteem from the One that
made them. They are not trapped into seeking the world’s approval or fame…which
last for about 15 minutes! God has a purpose and destiny for anyone that seeks
it!
This is why human kind has a restlessness that drives the
question: Who am I? You cannot discover who you are until you discover Who God
is…not
only who you are, but who you can become!
Psalm 139:13–18 For
You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks
to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And
my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made
in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have
seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that
were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also
are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count
them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
·
(3) Goals - Everything you do has eternal
consequence…everything!
It is said “You cannot take it with you.”
However, for those that have accepted Christmas…you can send it ahead!! Everything you do
that was intended to glorify God whether in the family you raise, the spouse
you are, the student you are or the worker you are, everything will come forth
at that appointment with God as eternal rewards. When you forgive, because He
did, when you refuse to condemn, because you yourself have received grace, or
when you show love to the unlovely, our God honors that for eternity!
Maybe you read this, but it makes the point:
In 1923 a
group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach
Hotel in Chicago.
Collectively,
these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the United States
Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their
success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples.
Twenty-seven years later, let’s see what happened to them.
(1) CHARLES SCHWAB—the president of the largest independent steel company—lived
on borrowed money the last five years of his life, and died penniless. (2)
ARTHUR CUTTEN—the greatest wheat speculator—died abroad insolvent. (3) RICHARD
WHITNEY—the president of the New York Stock Exchange—was released some time ago
from Sing Sing. (4) ALBERT FALL—the member of the President’s Cabinet—was
pardoned from prison so he could die at home. (5) JESSE LIVERMORE—the greatest
bear in Wall Street—committed suicide. (6) LEON FRASER—the president of the
Bank of International Settlement—committed suicide. (7) IVAR KRUEGER—the head
of the world’s greatest monopoly—committed suicide.
All of
these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to
live. [1]
This life is not it! Christmas opened wide the door for any
that desire to live from the eternal perspective!
1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 For this we say to you by the
word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be
with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:50–52 Now I say this, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable
inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed.
Don’t settle for believing that this life and this world is all you
have. God sent His Son on that first Christmas to offer you a life that
includes “here and now” but with the perspective of counting
forever! If you can agree with God that you have sinned and fall short of
perfection, but desire to live with Him, then Christmas is for you. Tell God
you believe Jesus is His Son, God in the flesh, and that you believe Jesus came
and died to pay for your sins. If you can do that ask God to forgive your sins
and help you turn from them, and tell Jesus you are going to trust in what He
did for you to make you a child of God. This is called faith, and that is how
God’s
grace comes to all. God states He will turn none away that come to Him in faith
through the sacrifice of the death of His Son, and when they do the
resurrection of His Son will give them life forever with Him.
[1]
Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700
illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for
pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications.
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