Text: 1John 4:10-12<\/p>\n
10 <\/sup><\/em>This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 <\/sup>Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 <\/sup>No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.<\/em><\/p>\n This is the season of giving.\u00a0 The retailers would sure like us to think so.\u00a0 And while you’re at it, how about those big ticket items.\u00a0 Maybe a $35,000 BMW with a big bow around it.\u00a0 Maybe the latest piece of technology that does it faster and better.\u00a0 Maybe a nice pearl necklace to adorn that special someone’s neck.<\/p>\n Yet \u00a0I don’t know about you.\u00a0 When it comes to gifts, when someone asks me what I would like for Christmas, I usually draw a blank.\u00a0 Not because my brain is failing me, though some might question that.\u00a0 Here’s why.\u00a0 I really have all I need and more, much more.<\/p>\n I would think that’s the case for most of us sitting here this morning.\u00a0 In fact, if you don’t have what you really need, food and clothing, a roof over your head, \u00a0I’d like to know about it.\u00a0 Maybe there is something we can do.<\/p>\n So here comes Christmas.\u00a0 How are we going to celebrate it this year?\u00a0 Last week we talked about worship, getting ready to worship.\u00a0 Today I want to let this Word of God teach us something about giving.<\/p>\n Christmas Giving Where it’s Needed Giving is a close relative to love.\u00a0 At least it should be.\u00a0 Well if we want to learn something about love, real love, John tells us, look at God’s love.\u00a0\u00a0 Look what His love moved him to give.\u00a0 Look where God \u00a0directed his giving.\u00a0 It’s all here in this one verse. 10 <\/sup>This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins<\/span>.\u00a0 \u00a0You see, God’s love didn’t start with ours.\u00a0 God’s love for you and me wasn’t a response to our love for him.\u00a0 He didn’t look down from heaven and think how great WE art<\/em>.\u00a0 Far from it.\u00a0 We gave him every reason to push us away.<\/p>\n Yet he loved us.\u00a0 Not just with some warm fuzzy feeling.\u00a0 His love for you zeroed in on a need, a desperate need.\u00a0 A need we may not have even known.\u00a0 Think about it.\u00a0 When I ride along with the police, they sometimes pull someone over.\u00a0 Before the police officer comes to the car, he goes to his computer screen which gives him the capability of checking your record.\u00a0 Are there any outstanding warrants for your arrest?\u00a0 Are you on probation?\u00a0 If they find something, you’ve got a problem.<\/p>\n Well do you think you or I could stand before God based on the record of our lives?\u00a0 What would your thoughts say about you?\u00a0 A lot more than some shameful incident the press might reveal about a presidential candidate.\u00a0\u00a0 We need to understand something.\u00a0 You and I would be toast if God treated us the way we deserve.<\/p>\n Yet what was God’s response?\u00a0 Flush us down the eternal toilet?\u00a0 That’s what we had coming.\u00a0 But what do we find? \u00a0His love.\u00a0 His love that zeroed in our need.\u00a0 His love that responded to our need in this way.\u00a0 \u00a0He gave us his own Son.\u00a0 He sent him.\u00a0 And why?\u00a0 Not to take us out.\u00a0 But to be born as one of us.\u00a0 He gave us his own Son.\u00a0 Not to walk around like some kind of celebrity, but to serve us, to set us \u00a0free from the sin and death that stuck to us like that mud on the bottom of your shoe.<\/p>\n Here comes the amazing thing.\u00a0 One word that says so much about God’s Christmas giving.\u00a0 One special Greek word that says this about Jesus, the gift God gave us all :\u00a0 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins <\/em>In other words, <\/em>He is the One God gave us to make things right.\u00a0 And we know how.\u00a0 \u00a0God would take what is wrong about us and put it on His own Son. My guilt, my punishment on him.<\/p>\n <\/em>And don’t think that was easy for the Father.\u00a0 To know even at Jesus birth, that His own Son, would someday face what we sing about at Christmastime.\u00a0 More than once my voice has choked up to sing it. Nails, spear, shall pierce him through, the cross, he’ll bear for me, for you… <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n So yes it’s the season of giving.\u00a0 But see how God leads the way.\u00a0 Go to the manger and there \u00a0see the \u00a0gift God gave.\u00a0 Christmas giving where it’s needed<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 For you , for me.\u00a0 For that person who still does not know the child of Mary.\u00a0 For there we see the Father’s love that sure got it right<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Now what about us?<\/strong> What about our love?\u00a0 What about our giving?\u00a0\u00a0 The apostle John teaches us this Christian faith is not just about receiving God’s gift.\u00a0 It’s not just about rejoicing that this gift, his own Son, speaks to our greatest need.\u00a0 Being a Christian is not just about praising \u00a0God\u00a0 for a hope like no other.<\/p>\n So what about us?\u00a0 What about our giving?\u00a0 What do these words teach \u00a0us: Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.<\/span> Since God so loved us<\/em>.\u00a0 What do we know about that \u00a0love?\u00a0 It was undeserved.\u00a0 We still don’t deserve it. What else do we see?\u00a0 God acted.\u00a0 He didn’t just feel sorry for us.\u00a0 Oh that’s too bad.<\/em> They’re dying sinners.\u00a0 That’s too bad.<\/em> God gave.\u00a0 He gave of himself.\u00a0 He gave where it was needed.<\/p>\n You and I\u00a0 are to show that same kind of love.\u00a0 So often our gifts go to people we love.\u00a0 Those we like.\u00a0 There is a place for that.\u00a0 But this kind of love is something different, something more.\u00a0 Listen to Jesus:\u00a0 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you…Even sinners love those who love them.<\/span> (Luke 6:32) This love is something more \u00a0and it gives.\u00a0 Like God’s love, it gives.\u00a0 It doesn’t just sit on the sideline and feel bad about what we see.\u00a0 This love gives where it’s needed.<\/p>\n Now what does that mean? What does that mean this Christmas season?\u00a0 It can mean any number of\u00a0 things.\u00a0 But since the Lord has blessed each of us with only so much to give we need to think about it.\u00a0 Be proactive about our Christmas giving.<\/p>\n So here is my suggestion.\u00a0 Start with those you love, your family.\u00a0 Maybe you can agree that this year will be different.\u00a0 Instead of piling high the gifts, instead of buying expensive stuff, why not agree to less. Why not agree to give presence, time with each other.\u00a0 Why not make a gift?\u00a0 For instance, one member of my family is taking all the many pictures out of those albums that are getting old. He’s scanning them and organizing them into a book for all of us.\u00a0 What a great gift – a great gift that won’t cost all that much.\u00a0 Mostly time for those he loves.<\/p>\n But here’s the point.\u00a0 That frees up some money that would otherwise be spent. Why not take that money you save and give like God. \u00a0\u00a0Christmas giving<\/strong> where it’s needed. <\/strong><\/p>\n Last week we heard about giving to provide clean fresh water in places India and Africa.\u00a0 Many children die every year because they get diseases from their water. By giving to our Christian aid and relief<\/em> you can help build wells in the name of Jesus .\u00a0 You can provide food and medical care in Russia and Bulgaria.\u00a0 You can support community centers in very poor parts of Mexico that offer food, clothing and skills for living.\u00a0 And you can do this in the name of Jesus.<\/p>\n I also know a way to give to help \u00a0Christians who have suffered terrible injury and loss at the hands of others.\u00a0 Many don’t realize how bad it is for Christians in other parts of the world.\u00a0 Places like Nigeria and Egypt.\u00a0 Let me know if you wish to give in this way.\u00a0 It is sorely needed.<\/p>\n Then there are so many service men and women.\u00a0 \u00a0Many come home maimed and messed up from so many deployments.\u00a0 There are families whose loved ones come home in a casket.\u00a0 Surely there are needs there .\u00a0 Christmas giving where it’s needed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It starts with the Father’s love that gave us his Son.\u00a0 God so loved you and me.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Well that love does more than save us.\u00a0 It does more than give us hope.\u00a0 It transforms.\u00a0 It pushes back against that selfishness that is so natural in each of us.\u00a0 It makes his people, giving people.\u00a0 And when that love is living and active in your life here’s what it shows:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.<\/span> Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Text: 1John 4:10-12 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions\/292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI.\u00a0 The Father sure got it right<\/strong>
\nII.\u00a0 What about us?<\/strong><\/p>\n