Luke 2:15-21[1]

God’s Gifts Offered to You

Several years ago Middle East Muslims held Tom, an American, captive for 4 years. Much of his time was spent in solitary confinement. In a speech after his captivity he asked an unforgettable question. He asked, “Do you know what it’s like to be in prison? To be held hostage? To be a captive? It’s very lonely and you worry that people will forget you. I felt abandoned. I didn’t think anybody even knew I was in prison.”

During his imprisonment, Tom listened to the guards’ radio … hoping and praying to hear his name, the story of his imprisonment and his innocence. But his name was never mentioned so he assumed that nobody in the United States even knew that he was being held hostage. Finally, after 4 years of captivity, he was released. Our government flew his wife to the area so they could be reunited. They flew home to San Francisco and as they got off the plane, Tom was amazed to see the lights and television cameras, reporters and people holding signs at the airport. Tom turned to his wife and said, “Jean, look at all these people. There must be a celebrity on the plane with us. Look around and see if you can spot who it is.” And Jean said, “Honey, they are all here for you! It’s you! This is all for you!”

Tom started crying like a little boy and he couldn’t stop. He said, “I can’t believe it. I thought everybody had forgotten about me... I felt completely abandoned. I didn’t think anybody cared. Thank God I was wrong.”

The shepherds at the first Christmas must have felt like that. They were social outcasts; on one of the lowest rungs on the social ladder. They were considered physically and spiritually unclean and they must have felt abandoned and forgotten. They must have felt that nobody really cared about them. Yet, of all the people on earth, the Angel of the Lord appeared to them. And in this heavenly contact, they discovered 3 great gifts that God offers. And these gifts are available to you and me. They are the gifts of acceptance, forgiveness and the greatest gift of all, the gift of Christ, himself.

The Gift of Acceptance: God offers to you and me the gift of acceptance that God gave to the Shepherds.

Why is it important that we hear that God accepts us? Isn’t it a natural thing for God to accept all whom God has created? Isn’t God a God who accepts me “just as I am” as the hymn says?

Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes those who are entangled in self-righteousness - and by the way, there is only one righteousness and that is the righteousness of God - there-fore, all who believe on Christ are dependent upon his righteousness, not their own. Paul speaks of unbelievers in Romans 8 where he writes, “…the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law - indeed it cannot, ⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”^[2]

Paul tells us that all humans are not only rebellious; we are actually hostile toward God. In other words, apart from Jesus Christ, all are spiritual outcasts, spiritually unclean. It is important that we know that God accepts us. It is important for us to know that God accepts us “just as we are.” But, when God claims us as his own, we will not remain as we were. The significance of God’s acceptance can be known only as we understand who we are apart from Christ.

Terry Bowden, current coach at Clemson University, once told a story about his family. He said. “My parents always took us five kids to church. Even when we were on a trip, they took us to church. Once, while on vacation, we went to a church that was a little more emotional than we were used to. The minister was shouting and pounding the pulpit… and he began to look around the congregation for someone to single out… and he spotted my father. Mom and Dad had marched us down to the front pew. Mom was on one end, Dad on the other end with the 5 kids squeezed in between to be sure we would behave in church.

The preacher pointed dramatically to my Dad and this conversation took place… ‘You there… Do you have faith?’ ‘Yes, I have faith,’ Dad answered. The preacher said, ‘If I put a 2 x 4 board down there on the floor, do you have enough faith to walk across it?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘But,’ said the preacher, ‘what if I took that same board and placed it across the top of the two tallest building in New York City… would you have enough faith to walk across it then?’ ‘No, I don’t have that much faith,’ Dad answered. ‘But what if somebody were standing on the other end,’ said the preacher, ‘and dangling one of your children off the side… would you cross the board then?’” Bowden said his father turned and looked down the pew at his five kids, and said, “Which one?”

Now, of course, Bobby Bowden was just kidding … but the point is this: God our Father never says, “Which one?” God doesn’t say, “Which one should I lay my life down for?” God so love the world… God wants to bring you into the circle of his love. God comes with the open arms of acceptance for all who will truly believe. To each one, God says, “You are valued. You are wanted. You are precious to me. This is for you.”

Faith causes us to embrace God’s acceptance of us. And when we do, we live in our acceptance. And the reality of our faith is confirmed by participation in the life of God; we live as God lives.

If you want to give something special to someone for Christmas this year, just say, “God values you. God wants you. You are precious to God.” However you decide to say it, you will give them a Christmas present… the gift of acceptance.

The Gift of Forgiveness: Steven Spielberg’s movie, “Schindler’s List,” is a graphic depiction of the 20^th century’s greatest horror – the extermination of millions of human beings in Nazi death camps. Oskar Schindler was a most unlikely hero. Yet, through the efforts of this one man, some 1200 persons were saved from certain death. He put them to work in his factory where he could protect them.

One of the most powerful moments in the movie was when Oskar Schindler spoke with the commander of the labor camp in Poland. They talked about power and the commander bragged about the authority he had over the people. He boasted of having absolute authority to kill any man if he so desired… and he had brutally killed many. But Schindler said, “No, Commander, you are wrong. That is not power... But to have a man come before you and to say, ‘I could take your life if I so choose but … instead I pardon you!’ That, Commander, is power!”

Indeed. Power…real power is found in forgiveness… and that’s the second Christmas gift God offers us.

Martin Luther once became so frustrated with the evil he saw around him that he shouted, “If I were God and saw people acting the way they do, I would smash the world to bits!” Luther might have, but not so with God. God comes into the world offering the gift of forgiveness… “I pardon you. I forgive you. I want to reclaim you.”

God has paid the price of forgiveness through the life and work of Jesus Christ. And God offers this free gift to you and to me. When, by faith, we embrace God’s forgiveness and live in it, we become participants in God’s life. We, then, forgive others as God has forgiven us.

Let us offer a Christmas present wrapped in Heaven… the gift of forgiveness. God offers to all who truly believe the gifts of acceptance and the gift of forgiveness …

The Gift of Christ: The first two gifts are made possible by the third. God also gives the gift of Himself as Jesus Christ. That’s really what advent and Christmas it’s all about, isn’t it?

4½ year old Paul said to his mother, “Momma, I love Christmas almost as much as I love you.” His mom said, “Well, tell what you love about Christmas.” And Paul answered, “I love the lights. I love the presents, and Mom, there’s one more thing and you are going to like this best… most of all I love the Baby Jesus.” Paul was right. His mom did like that best, because she had taught him that Jesus is the reason for the season. But, not only is Jesus the reason for the season, He is God’s gift to the world… the gift of the Savior… a gift money can’t buy.

Did you know that Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ’s 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching of these greatest ancient philosophers. Why? Because He does not offer a mere philosophy for life: He offers life itself.

Jesus painted no pictures, yet the finest painting of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. Why? Because, as creator, His canvas is the universe with all its beauty, diversity and complexity.

Jesus wrote no poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him. Why? Because all humanity desires to find and express truth. Jesus Christ is truth.

Jesus composed no music; still Handel, Beethoven, and Bach reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns and symphonies they composed to the praise of his glory. Why? Because, God alone places the music of life in the hearts of humanity.

Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth. The gift of God as Jesus Christ is the best Christmas gift of all.

Patrick Henry understood that and he expressed it in his will. He said, “I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one more thing that I wish I could give them and that is Jesus Christ… If they had Christ… and I had not given them one shilling, they would be rich indeed; and if, they had not Christ… and I had given them all the world, they would be poor.”

Conclusion: Remember at beginning of this sermon how Tom, who had been held captive by Muslims for 4 years, thought he had been forgotten and that nobody cared. Remember how when his plane landed in San Francisco, and he saw all the people, lights and cameras he thought there was a celebrity on board the plane. That’s when his wife said to him, “It’s you! This is all for you.” Well, that’s what God says to you this morning about Christmas… it’s all for you! God’s gifts of Acceptance, Forgiveness and of Himself as Christ… they are all for you!

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[1] NOTE: This sermon series on Advent is currently a publication of Abingdon for Bibe Study during Advent. Jim Moore has granted this series to eSermons users to use in preparation of their Advent sermons. The material may be used in oral presentation in services of worship. It has been adapted here for this use. eSermons.com Sermons, Dr. James W. Moore, ChristianGlobe Network, 2002, 0-0000-0000-15

^[2]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 (Ro 8:5). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.