Sermon: Receiving Gifts
John 16:16-24
“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
John 3:17
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
We know, from these Scriptures and the teachings found throughout the Bible, that our God is a generous gift-giver. In fact, He is the greatest gift-giver ever! Dr. Gary Chapman writes the following about God being a gift-giver:
“Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself as one who loves those who will acknowledge Him. He, in turn, expresses His love by giving gifts. Sometimes those gifts are material things that can be touched and tasted, such as food, clothing, and shelter. Other times His gifts are in the realm of the spiritual—eternal life, forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, and purpose of life.
The theme of God as the giver of gifts runs deeply through the channels of Hebrew and Christian history. To individuals for whom gift-giving is the primary love language, the giving aspect of God’s nature is extremely compelling.”
We, too, should learn how to convey our love to others through gift-giving. For some people, this is the primary way they give and receive love, and many of this type of people are gift giving experts! What are some of the most important gifts that we can share with others? Many would say physical gifts (money, treasures, etc.) are the most important gifts, but it is the spiritual gifts that truly bring life to all. These gifts include prayer, joy and the message of the Gospel. We will talk about giving these gifts to others on Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways of Giving and Receiving Love.” Hope to see you then!
