Calvary Road Baptist Church

“CHRISTMAS GIVING”

Day after tomorrow, Western Christendom celebrates the birth of the only Son of the only God, Who was delivered by the only virgin to ever give birth to a child, all in fulfillment of prophecy.^[1] We call Him the Lord Jesus Christ. Born a Jew, in fulfillment of prophecy, the Lord Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, in fulfillment of prophecy, and was of the house and lineage of Israel’s king David, in fulfillment of prophecy, in the tiny village of Bethlehem, in fulfillment of prophecy, to save His people from their sins, in fulfillment of prophecy.^[2] Do you have any idea how astronomical are the odds against such predictions reaching back a thousand years being fulfilled? The Biblical record shows that He lived a sinless life, in fulfillment of prophecy, that He died a sacrificial death, in fulfillment of prophecy, for the sins of all mankind, in fulfillment of prophecy, and that He rose from the dead after three days and nights, in fulfillment of prophecy, before ascending to His Father’s right hand where He now sits until His enemies be made His footstool, in fulfillment of prophecy.^[3] Someday He will come back for His Own, in fulfillment of prophecy, will then pour out His wrath on this gainsaying and Christ-rejecting world, in fulfillment of prophecy, and will then return in power, might, and great majesty to establish His millennial kingdom, in fulfillment of prophecy, will judge and then finally cast into the lake of fire all who did not trust Him, in fulfillment of prophecy, and will then lead we who are saved into eternity, in fulfillment of prophecy.^[4]

So, you see, our observation of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is the celebration of just one of a number of profoundly significant events on God’s prophetic calendar. But, granted, it is one of the most significant. Consider the seven most significant events of all time: The Creation of all things, the Fall of Adam, the Great Flood, the Birth of Christ, the Crucifixion of Christ/His Resurrection/His Ascension, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Final Judgment/Entrance into Eternity. Therefore, although Christmas commemorates but one of seven stupendous events, it is a key part of the unfolding of God’s great plan for the ages. Together with the crucifixion of Christ at the end of His earthly life and ministry, the birth of Christ is labeled by the Savior Himself to be the giving of Himself to mankind. Listen to what Jesus, Himself, says in John 3.16: “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.”

Is it not amazing to reflect on the fact that at Christmas time, when we are in the habit of giving and receiving gifts one from another, that the occasion whose anniversary we commemorate was in fact the initial introduction to the human race of a wonderful gift given to those who would receive Him, the Lord Jesus Christ? This being true, let us understand then that Christmas is rightly about giving and receiving, no matter how the annual event has been observed by various cultures down through the centuries. In light of this truth, and despite the fact that you may already have purchased all the gifts you plan on giving to your friends, loved ones, and coworkers (unless you are one of those last minute or after Christmas present buyers), there are still some gifts that you need to purpose, this morning, to give.

My friends, give, in addition to what you already plan to give, gifts that are appropriate for celebrating the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider Christmas giving from a purely Christian point of view:

First, FOR THE CHRISTIAN MAN, LET ME GIVE YOU THREE GIFT IDEAS

First, to the Lord Jesus Christ, give to the Savior the gift of a servant. Of course, there is only one thing required of a servant, and that is to be faithful, First Corinthians 4.2. So, if you give the Savior a faithful servant, you will be giving to Him someone who can be counted on to get the job done, who will not be a quitter, and who will be consistent, conscientious, and concerned about the impact of your life and testimony on the cause of Christ. Give to Jesus Christ a servant, first, because of Who He is: He is God. How do we know this to be true? Because He possesses the personality of deity, because He possesses the power of deity, and because He possesses the prerogatives of deity. Consider His personality. Remember what Thomas, the doubting apostle, said to the Savior when he saw himself that the Lord Jesus was indeed raised from the dead? “My Lord, and my God!”^[5] As well, remember what Paul wrote to the Philippians? “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, every head should bow . . . And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” just as Isaiah predicted would happen at the name of Jehovah.^[6] Consider, next, His power. How many examples are needed to show and demonstrate the Lord Jesus Christ’s power over the natural and the supernatural? Walking on water, turning water into wine, feeding thousands with a few morsels of food, casting demons out of maniacs, raising both children and adults from the dead, and rising from the dead Himself, bodily. I suggest that you give yourself to Jesus Christ as a servant because of Who He is. He is God manifest in the flesh. Give yourself a servant to Jesus Christ, next, because of what He has done. How about the incarnation? The incarnation refers to the fact that at a point in history God took upon Himself human flesh. After all, is that not what Christmas is really all about? How about the crucifixion? Some thirty plus years after the incarnation, this same Lord Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all mankind, suffered, bled, and died, for the sins of all mankind, and provided Himself a ransom for sinful mankind. How about the resurrection? As He predicted He would, Jesus rose from the dead three days and three nights after His crucifixion and burial, and then ascended to His Father’s right hand in heaven. How is that for a list of what He has done? Give yourself a servant to Jesus Christ, third, because of what it will do for you. If you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully, it will secure for you blessings from God, it will set for you examples for others to follow, and it will sow for you seeds that you will someday reap. Christian man, give yourself to Jesus Christ this Christmas a servant.

To your wife, sir, give a husband (Ephesians 5). I have spent years preaching this, but I see two wonderful traits that every woman, saved or lost, hostile or friendly, needs from her Christian husband. She may resist you when you give yourself to her in this way, but that is okay. This is what she needs. Sir, your wife needs a leader. She may not want a leader. She may fuss with you when you strive to lead her. That is okay. You concern yourself with the will of God and lead her. Ephesians 5.23: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.” By the way, if you are going to lose your wife, lose her leading her. Do not lose her following her. Amen? No woman is spiritually equipped to provide spiritual leadership to her husband, so lead her. Your wife also, in addition to needing a leader, needs a lover. Ephesians 5.25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” It is a rare case indeed when a woman will not follow the leadership of a man who loves her with a sacrificial love, a devoted love, a providing love, and a powerful love. And sir? You are no real man at all who will not lead your wife spiritually and love your wife powerfully, in my opinion.

To your child, sir, give a father (First Thessalonians 2 and Proverbs 13). Four things to quickly note about a father: First, the father’s life, First Thessalonians 2.10, where Paul shows a father’s life is to be one characterized by holiness, by justice, and by blamelessness. Second, the father’s lessons, First Thessalonians 2.11, where Paul shows that a father is to exhort, to comfort, and to charge his child, addressing his child’s past, present and future. Third, the father’s goal, First Thessalonians 2.12, is to raise his children to become men and women who walk worthy of God. Fourth, the father’s love, Proverbs 13.24, which when needful is put on display by a willingness to chastise his child when chastisement is appropriate. Would you not agree with me that those are great gift ideas? And they do not cost you anything but love and devotion to others.

Next, FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN, THREE GIFT IDEAS

To Jesus Christ, ma’am, give Him a servant. To understand how to accomplish this see, first, the value of women who serve God. Of all the believers he had access to, Paul was led of God to send his most important epistle, the letter to the Romans, via a courier named Phebe, whose virtues he extols with the highest praise, Romans 16.1-2:

¹      I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

²      That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Next, see the vocations of women who serve God. Tabitha, according to Acts 9.36, gave to the poor. Priscilla, with her husband, taught doctrine to that great preacher, Apollos, Acts 18.26. Philip the evangelist, had four virgin daughters who prophesied, Acts 21.9. Lydia, a business woman, was instrumental in helping Paul start the church at Philippi, Acts 16.15. Then there was Phebe, chosen by Paul to represent him and to deliver the Roman epistle.

To your husband, ma’am, give a wife. There is much confusion these days concerning the role God wants a woman to occupy in marriage. However, for those who believe God and place confidence in His Word, things are pretty simple, much simpler than trying to reinvent the institution of marriage, which God ordained. As to help, Genesis 2.18: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” This is God’s original job description for a wife. In the thousands of years of human history since God made Adam and Eve, nothing has changed. If you give yourself to your husband on Christmas day you can only give yourself to him as one committed to helping him. As to headship, First Corinthians 11.3: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” Notice that the Lord Jesus submits to God the Father, though the Bible teaches them to be equal and not inferior one to the other. In like manner, the relationship between a wife and her husband has nothing to do with the superiority or inferiority of one over the other. It has only to do with God’s plan for the family unit. It is a miserable woman and a miserable man, and confused children, who are the consequence of deviations from God’s plan for husbands and wives. Give to your husband a wife, a Christian wife, a godly wife, and an obedient to God’s Word wife. “Pastor, I cannot bring myself to do that.” Not a problem. Do not marry. God has a wonderful and fulfilling plan for the lives of those who do not marry.

To your kids, mom, give a mother. Show your kids some things that they can best learn from you. First, show your child how to submit to Christ by submitting to your husband, Ephesians 5.24: “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” What a great privilege, and what a great responsibility as well. And what utter catastrophe in the lives of children whose mothers will not submit to their fathers. No wonder we have so many so-called Christians who will not do what God says. Make a difference, mom. Next, show your daughter how to follow a man’s lead. Girls learn how to be wives by watching their moms. That may be your problem. Amen? Nevertheless, by God’s grace, you can give yourself for your daughters, so they will develop the skills to live fulfilled and blessed lives as the happy wives of happy husbands. Third, show your son how a woman is to follow her husband. Do you want your son to marry the right kind of woman by marrying someone who is like you, or opposite you? Obviously, the better of the two options is for you to do right, making sure that you are the right kind of mom, so your son can marry someone like you and do all right. Recognizing that influence is not the same thing as leadership, what powerful influence a Christian woman can have for the cause of Christ, for her husband, and for her kids, if she will give herself over to being the woman God would have her to be and provides the grace for her to be.

Third, SO YOU KIDS DON’T FEEL LEFT OUT, THREE GIFT IDEAS FOR YOU

Even if you are a kid, if you are a saved youngster, give yourself to the Savior to be a servant. How can a kid be a servant? Think about it for a moment. Was not Samuel a servant to the high priest of Israel, that fellow named Eli? He started serving Eli when he was about 4 or 5 years old. So, you can be a servant to the Lord in your own way. First, serve by giving. Make sure you use offering envelopes. Make sure you use one of those envelopes each and every week, even if you only put a nickel in it. That way you will train yourself to be faithful in giving to the Lord when you grow up. If your parents give thought to you growing up to serve God, they will help you learn to be a faithful servant in your giving. Second, serve by growing spiritually. Of course, you have to make sure you are a Christian before you can grow spiritually. Then you can grow by reading God’s Word, attending church faithfully, paying careful attention to preaching, to praying and asking God to work in your life, and trying to do those things you know God wants every Christian to do. Third, kids, you can serve by going. You can go to the convalescent hospital on Saturday mornings, you can give tracts to your friends in the neighborhood and invite them to church, and you can start talking to other kids your age about their own spiritual condition. The Lord Jesus Christ wants each and every one of you to serve Him. The best way to learn how to serve the Lord is to begin serving Him as best as you can right now.

To your father, give yourself. Young people, have you ever thought about giving yourself to your dad? You can do that in two ways: First, by recognizing his position in the home. If your dad is living in the home, he is the boss and you need to do what he says. It is hard, especially when you have a dad who does not support the family, or who comes up with all kinds of excuses for not attending church and serving God. However, he is still your dad. Submit to his position. Also, recognize his power in your life. By power, I mean his authority. For you girls, your dad’s power is related to marriage. Seems old fashioned these days, but First Corinthians 7 says a great deal about a father’s power in his daughter’s life, especially with regard to who she marries. Girls, the course of your life will bear testimony to the folly of marrying someone against your father’s will. Do not risk a marriage your dad is against. Give yourself to your father by recognizing his position and his power in your life. For you boys, dad’s power is related to majority. That is, God’s Word indicates that it is your dad who decides when you become a man. Galatians 4.1-2:

¹      Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

²      But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Strong words. Try jumping the gun on your dad and acting independently of him before he says you are ready, and just see the mess you can create for yourself. Some of the men in our church can attest to the messes that can be made by trying to act the man before you dad gives you the go ahead.

Third, young people, give yourself to your mother. Usually, it is moms who do more for their kids and get less from their kids than anyone else. However, she is your mother, kids. She bore you. She nursed you. She bathed, clothed, and cuddled you. She changed your diapers. She stayed up nights with you when you were sick. She is the woman God commands you to honor, along with your father. So, how can you give yourself to her? Try recognizing her position over you. Solomon commanded his son to “forsake not the law of thy mother.”^[7] That woman has authority given to her by God to tell you what to do. And you cannot be right with God while you dishonor your mother. As well, where does it say she can no longer tell you what to do just because you are bigger and stronger than she is? You do not find that in the Bible. So long as you live in her home, you are obligated to do what she says, and when you refuse to do what she says you need to be the man you think you are and move out. Also, try respecting her problem with you. The main problem moms have with kids is loyalty. After all that woman has done for you, you start acting like she is an embarrassment to you, or she is not good enough for you? A man will have problems with the woman he marries, and the woman will have a lousy husband, if that person does not love and honor his or her mother. These are such simple gifts to give. They do not really cost any money, and you are giving that which is most precious to you to people you say you already love. Think about it for a moment. Has your spouse, or your child, or your parent, or your Savior, not far outgiven you? That has been the case with me. Why should I not give myself to the Savior, and to my wife, and to Sarah? What could I ever do that would begin to equal the joy and fulfillment in life they have given to me?

WE CLOSE WITH THIS: WHAT GIFTS CAN A LOST MAN GIVE TO OTHERS?

What if you are here this morning and you are not a Christian? What, then, assuming you wanted to give something, could you give to other people?

You cannot really give anything to your kids, besides the example of a mom or a dad the Bible indicates is destined for Hell. You cannot show them how to love God or live for eternity, because according to God’s Word you do not do those things. You cannot really love your spouse like you ought to. How can a lost woman be an example of the Christian’s love for Christ? No, she will invariably try to lead her husband. As well, how can a man sacrificially love his wife if he has no concept of the sacrificial love of Christ? These are valid questions.

How can a young person honor and submit to the will of parents when she is openly rebellious against the government of God and who personally rejects Jesus Christ, even though she pretends otherwise? She cannot. She can pretend. She can even fool her parents. However, she can never fool the God who commanded her to honor her parents and obey them. Eventually, when she marries who she will, when she will, she will show her true colors. Guys will, too, by breaking loose from dad’s authority prematurely.

However, worst of all, how can you, at this Christmas time, give anything to the Lord Jesus Christ? After all, it is His birthday we are celebrating. You see, until He has first saved you and given to you eternal life, you do not have anything that He wants or will take from you as a gift; no real love, no consecrated service, no obedience, nothing.

Christmas time is a giving time of year. Everyone gives at Christmas, and that is fine. It is always good to give. However, are we giving the best gifts? Why not, this Christmas time, to those you love, to those who really matter, give things more important than gifts that are purchased and wrapped. Give yourself; Christian, to your Savior as a servant, to your spouse as a godly mate, to your kids as a spiritual and obedient parent, to your parents as one who honors and who obeys.

If you are not a Christian, you have nothing to give that the Savior wants. Being a lost individual, you must first receive from the Savior what He has to give to you before you can really give to Him or to anyone else anything that is worthwhile and lasting. You need your sins forgiven. Then, once you are forgiven, you can then give back to the One Who gave Himself for you.

This morning, I invite you to consider the Lord Jesus Christ, in the hopes that you will someday receive from Him the gift of eternal life.

 

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