Sermon Title: Christmas Gifts That Won't Break - The Gift of Love
"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it ware amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."
There is a story that Dr. Ann Shorb tells about three sons who wanted to give their mother gifts for her 70th birthday. One son decided to give her a ring and the other a new car. The youngest son thought about how much she liked to read the Bible, so he bought her a parrot that could quote the entire Bible. It took 12 years for the parrot to be trained and it cost him more than what the other brothers spent on their gifts.
The mother received the gifts on her birthday via delivery and she quickly sent thank you notes to each of her sons. To the first son she wrote, "Son, thank you for the ring. It's beyond anything I have ever imagined." To the second son she wrote, "Thank you for the car. I couldn't imagine having that wonderful of a vehicle ever in my life." To the youngest son she wrote, "Thank you for the chicken. It was delicious."
Christmas can be like that for many people. Christmas comes with its gifts, songs, activities and food, and people can miss the most important message that Christmas is intended to deliver - that God loves us. We know this without a doubt because He sent His Son to take the form of a mere infant so that the infant could one day grow up and die as a sacrifice for our sins. God the Father spared nothing so that we could have a relationship with Him. I hope that you will not miss this message - it truly is what Christmas conveys to the world - that God loves us. And there is no greater message that we could ever hear or receive. This coming Sunday we will talk more about that message of God's love, and how it should impact the way we treat others. I hope to see you then!
