Unwrapping the True Gift of Christmas

Devotional

Day 1: Recognize Your True Need

Many people misdiagnose their problems, thinking that money, pleasure, or power will solve them. However, the real issue is our sinfulness, which separates us from God. Acknowledging this need is crucial for true spiritual healing. When we recognize our need for God, we open ourselves up to receive His transformative gift of grace. This acknowledgment is the first step in a journey toward spiritual wholeness and a deeper relationship with God. [05:36]

Isaiah 55:2-3 (ESV): "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David."

Reflection: What are the things you have been turning to for satisfaction instead of God? How can you begin to acknowledge your need for Him today?

Day 2: Trust to Receive

Belief is not just intellectual assent but a deep trust in Jesus Christ. This involves accepting His love, forgiveness, and plan for our lives. True belief transforms us and initiates an ongoing relationship with God, unlike the transactional relationship we often have with Santa Claus. When we trust in Jesus, we open our hearts to His transformative power and begin to experience the fullness of life He offers. [15:40]

John 6:35 (ESV): "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust Jesus fully? How can you take a step of faith to trust Him more deeply today?

Day 3: Engage with Grace

Grace is an ongoing gift that requires our active participation. Engaging in spiritual practices like worship, prayer, and community fellowship helps us grow in our faith. This cooperation with grace leads to a flourishing life, akin to a well-tended garden. Just as a gardener must prepare the soil and tend to the plants, we must create the conditions for God to work in our lives. [21:17]

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV): "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Reflection: What spiritual practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to engage more fully with God's grace? How can you create an environment in your life that allows God's grace to flourish?

Day 4: Embrace Eternal Life Now

Eternal life is not just about living forever but experiencing a transformed quality of life through Jesus. This life of the age to come is something we can experience now, even as we await its full realization when Jesus returns. Embracing eternal life means living in the reality of God's kingdom here and now, allowing His love, justice, and righteousness to shape our daily lives. [09:34]

John 17:3 (ESV): "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Reflection: How can you begin to live in the reality of eternal life today? What changes can you make to align your life more closely with the values of God's kingdom?

Day 5: Foster Community and Cooperation

The community garden analogy emphasizes the importance of mutual support in our spiritual journey. Just as gardeners help each other, we must support one another in our faith, creating a community where love, justice, and righteousness flourish. Building a strong, supportive community helps us grow in our faith and experience the fullness of God's grace together. [25:01]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: How can you contribute to building a supportive and loving community in your church or local area? What steps can you take to encourage and support others in their spiritual journey?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Merry Christmas in July! This new series, "God Gives," aims to strip away the commercialized, secularized, and overly sentimentalized aspects of Christmas, allowing us to reflect on its true meaning. Christmas is about God giving us the gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. John Barclay, a New Testament scholar, offers a compelling analogy comparing our relationship with God to our relationship with Santa Claus. Unlike Santa, who gives gifts based on merit and then disappears, God gives His gift to the undeserving and seeks an ongoing relationship with us.

To unwrap this divine gift, we must first acknowledge our need. Many people misdiagnose their problems, thinking money, pleasure, or power will solve them. However, the real issue is our sinfulness, which separates us from God. The Nicene Creed reminds us that Jesus came down from heaven for our salvation because we are lost and need saving.

Next, we must believe to receive. This belief is not just intellectual assent but a deep trust in Jesus Christ, accepting His love, forgiveness, and plan for our lives. Finally, we must cooperate with grace. Grace is an ongoing gift that requires our active participation. We must engage in spiritual practices like worship, prayer, and community fellowship to grow in our faith.

The analogy of a community garden illustrates this well. Just as a gardener must prepare the soil and tend to the plants, we must create the conditions for God to work in our lives. This cooperation with grace leads to a flourishing life, a new Eden where love, justice, and righteousness reign.

###

Key Takeaways

1. tended garden. [21:17]
4. The Gift of Eternal Life: Eternal life is not just about living forever but experiencing a transformed quality of life through Jesus. This life of the age to come is something we can experience now, even as we await its full realization when Jesus returns.

5. Community and Cooperation: The community garden analogy emphasizes the importance of mutual support in our spiritual journey. Just as gardeners help each other, we must support one another in our faith, creating a community where love, justice, and righteousness flourish.

### [21:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:49] - Introduction to Christmas in July
[01:38] - Santa Claus vs. God
[03:43] - God's Gift to the Undeserving
[05:36] - Acknowledge Your Need
[08:14] - The Gift of Eternal Life
[11:04] - Life of the Age to Come
[11:56] - The Problem is Us
[13:26] - The Why of Christmas
[15:40] - Believe to Receive
[18:23] - Cooperate with Grace
[21:17] - Responsible Grace
[25:01] - Community Garden Analogy
[27:38] - ABC: Acknowledge, Believe, Cooperate
[29:33] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to 1 John 5:11, where is eternal life found?
What does Ephesians 2:1-3 say about our condition before receiving God's gift?
In Philippians 2:12-13, what are believers instructed to do with their salvation, and who is at work within them?
How does the sermon describe the difference between God's gift and Santa Claus's gifts? ([03:43])

Interpretation Questions

What does it mean to "acknowledge your need" according to the sermon, and why is this step crucial for receiving God's gift? ([05:36])
How does the concept of "believe to receive" go beyond mere intellectual assent, and what does it involve? ([15:40])
What does "cooperate with grace" entail, and how is it similar to tending a community garden? ([21:17])
How does the sermon explain the "life of the age to come" and its significance for believers now? ([09:34])

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you have misdiagnosed your problems, thinking money, pleasure, or power would solve them? How can you acknowledge your true need for God's gift? ([05:36])
In what ways can you deepen your trust in Jesus Christ beyond intellectual belief? What steps can you take to accept His love, forgiveness, and plan for your life? ([15:40])
How can you actively participate in spiritual practices like worship, prayer, and community fellowship to cooperate with God's grace? What specific actions will you take this week? ([21:17])
Think about the analogy of the community garden. How can you create conditions in your life for God to work and grow your faith? What "weeds" do you need to remove, and what "seeds" do you need to plant? ([25:01])
Eternal life is described as a transformed quality of life through Jesus. How can you experience this transformed life now, and what changes might you need to make to align more closely with this vision? ([09:34])
The sermon emphasizes the importance of community and mutual support. How can you support others in their spiritual journey, and how can you seek support from your community? ([25:01])
Reflect on the ABCs: Acknowledge, Believe, Cooperate. Which of these steps do you find most challenging, and why? What practical steps can you take to grow in this area? ([27:38])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "God doesn't give his gift to the deserving. No, he gives his gift to the unworthy, to the ungodly, to the undeserving. And then once we receive this gift, there's an ongoing relationship that's initiated. It's not like he's just dropping his gift off and taking it off. That's what Santa Claus does. He gives gifts and he skips town. No, God comes in the gift. wants to walk with us and talk with us and guide us and lead us and transform us so that we become partners with his gift-giving enterprise to offer the gift of Jesus Christ to the whole world." [04:21] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Santa, you have to earn his gift. God, you can't earn his gift. But his gift does and will transform us, change us, make us into new people, disciples of his son, Jesus. So let's unwrap. Let's spend some time this morning unwrapping the deep meaning of Christmas, the gift of God and what God wants to do in our lives." [05:02] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The reason, the why of Christmas is in the Nicene Creed, where it says, For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. Why did Jesus come? For us. For me. For you. For our salvation. Because we need saving. We are lost. We need to be saved." [13:26] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The important part is the trust part. The trust aspect is trusting. Trusting that Jesus Christ forgives you, that Jesus Christ loves you, that Jesus has a plan for your life, that he offers you an ongoing relationship, believing and trusting, putting your life into the hands of your maker. That's, that's what faith is. So there's a gift, it's given by God, and we receive it by, by faith, receive it by, by trusting. Believing it's true, but trusting it's true for you personally, a personal relationship with Jesus." [17:14] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "We support each other in growing this garden, and I love the garden metaphor because this is what God is creating, an Eden, a new Eden. Amen. The Garden of Eden, where life is birthed and nurtured, where life flourishes, where life is given and multiplied. This is the vision of what the new heavens and the new earth will look like when they come together. It's not a return to the original Eden. It's an even better Eden because there is no pain. There is no suffering. There is no death. There is no sin. There is no evil. There is no injustice." [25:46] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "We have it in our culture, in our mindset, that really we've got to make ourselves good enough to be able to earn God's gift. But, you see, God's different than that. He doesn't work like that. He's almost the exact opposite of that, isn't he? God doesn't give his gift to the deserving. No, he gives his gift to the unworthy, to the ungodly, to the undeserving. And then once we receive this gift, there's an ongoing relationship that's initiated." [03:43] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The problem is you. You're your problem. You were dead in the trespasses and sins among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. So we're no different. We're not special. We have the same problem everybody else has. And the problem is us. And this is the whole purpose of Christmas." [11:56] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Without grace, God cannot save you. And without your cooperation, God will not save you. You might want to write that down. That's, that's a good one. That's a takeaway. Without grace, God cannot save you. He will not save you because you're not savable without his grace. But without your cooperation, he will not save you." [22:24] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We cooperate with God's grace through the means of grace. We don't create the maturity in our lives. We don't create the transformation in our lives. We don't create the implications of salvation in our lives. We cooperate. We participate in the means of grace. We worship. It's a means of grace. We read the scriptures and search the scriptures, and God speaks to us. We pray, and God meets us in our prayer and answers our prayers. We meet with each other in small groups where we can hold each other accountable and love one another and encourage each other on the way." [24:11] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Acknowledge your need. Acknowledge the problem. Sin. You're the problem. You're destructive decisions. You're choices. You're desire and design to go out and do your own thing. I don't need God. Thank you very much. We need forgiveness. We need Jesus to come. So God sent his son Jesus. Believe to receive. Believe that that's true. Not just believe it's true so that you can stand up and say the creed without crossing your fingers and putting them behind your back." [27:38] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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