The Gift

Romans 5:1-9 (NIV)
¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Have you ever received a gift that you found yourself Thinking?

·       Wow – but I really don’t need this.

·       Nice – but I’ll never use this.

·       Hmm – Maybe I should just take it back.

But then you remember who gave it to you, someone special who really had your best interest at heart – so in order not to offend them, or hurt their feelings you decide to keep it, just in case they ever ask.  You place it on a shelf in your room, and you forget all about it, until one day some time later you place it in a Yard sale.

A valued gift that brings nothing to you. 

Or perhaps someone offered to buy you a gift that you think I’ll never get much use out of that, I really don’t need it.  This happened to me – My wife purchased me a GPS system earlier this year, a very helpful device, but then she offered if I wanted to take it back and buy an I-phone that would be OK with her.  She and Jason both tried to convince me that I should buy the I-phone.  I found my self thinking that’s really an extravagant gift that would be nice, but I really don’t need it, I would never get enough use out of it to make it worth while.  But I gave in, I thought why not – so I went down on July 11^th, the first day the second generation I-phone was available and stood in line starting at 6:00 am to get this phone.  Still thinking This is a lot of money for a phone – but they are 50% less than the first ones.   So I gave in – Man am I glad I did – This has been the most useful tool that I have ever purchased – I use it constantly – every aspect of my job I can use my I-phone – Email, contacts, keeping in touch with family and friends, Calendar that keeps me informed of where I should be and when, (except when I’m supposed to be at Trish’s to get my hair cut – I don’t know why it always forgets to remind me of that)

I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts lately – the pre-Christmas rush of making sure you have the right gifts for the kids – hoping that they will fall in love with what you gave them. 

You want to give the gift that says, You matter to me. 

Let me ask you a question.

Have you ever wondered if you matter, if your life really matters to someone?

I never thought a lot about the shepherds who gathered in the stable that night that is until this week as I was studying for this message.  Maybe I took them for granted, fortunate souls who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  After all God needed witnesses to the miraculous birth of his son, and who better than a group of rag tag Shepherds who were working nearby.  But something I read about them resonated in my mind – perhaps God chose them for another reason, not just because they were handy and nearby, but because God wanted to teach all of us a valuable lesson – Your life Matters to God. 

I imagine those shepherds must have sat around the campfire many times & wondered if life was really worthwhile or not.  (Maybe they were like most of us, wondering if God really did care about them.  Maybe they looked at their life the way we do, I’ve messed up so much how could God ever love me or ever forgive me.) “What difference does it make if we watch the sheep or not?”

Maybe we wonder, too, “What difference does it make if I get up every morning or not? It seems as if my life is an endless cycle of things that really don’t mean anything. I just wonder if life is worth living at all?”

When God comes & makes His announcement to shepherds, He is also saying to us, “Your life is worthwhile. It is My gift to you. Therefore live every golden moment of it, because your life does matter to Me.”

Would you open your Bibles This morning to the Book of Romans

Romans 5:1-9 (NIV)
¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

I want to draw a couple of truths from this passage concerning “The Gift” that we have been offered.

1.    It’s a Gift of Grace.

2.  It’s a Gift of Hope.

3.  It’s a Gift of Love.

Look at verse 1-2

Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Grace – a term often used, a term often abused, a term often neglected.  What does it mean?

Grace simply means un-merited favor.  Something we receive even though we don’t deserve it.

The Shepherds signify Grace to us – What did they do to deserve the honor of witnessing the birth of Jesus Christ?  Had they prayed more? (Perhaps) had they lived a better life than others? They were shepherds by the way – dusty, dirty guys who lived out with the sheep – Not one of your more popular professions.  In fact I doubt that the role of shepherd ever appeared on the Forbes list of best jobs in Jerusalem.  In fact if it was on a list it would be a list of the least desirable jobs, or perhaps a good spot for the “dirty jobs” show on Discovery channel. 

Maybe you find your self a little like those shepherds – my life really doesn’t matter that much – I’ve done so much wrong in my life I’m sure I could never matter to God.  I’ve had people tell me, “I’ve messed up my life so much I don’t think God could ever forgive me”  That’s what this gift is all about – It’s about Grace – it’s those who have no value – finding value in what God has done.

 (The following is from a story written By DAVID THOMAS / Fort Worth Star-Telegram & from Espn Mag the Lfie of Riley)

It was Friday Night, November 7, 2008 – Grapevine Texas – not just another Friday night football in north Texas. 

I’ve deleted the story so not to break any copyright laws –  however it’s a great story of a football game between Faith Christian Lions and the Tornado’s from Gainesville State school.  The Gainsville school is minimum security prison for young men in Texas.  The players earn the right to play by good behavior and completing their high school work.  Wtihout any fans, the Faith lions coach decided t0 have half of their fans cheer for the visiting team.  The impact it had on the young men from Gainsville was dramatic.  (I encourge you to do a google search for this story)  Amazing.

 Like those ball players everyone of us is a person of value – we stand as a person of interest before a mighty God, but like those players from Gainesville – we too are flawed – we too are people of no hope – for we are all sinners

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 (NIV)
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But like the people of Faith – we have someone who is interested in us – interested so much that he gave us a precious gift of grace –

John 3:16 (NIV)
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Look at verse 3-5

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Imagine the Shepherds returning to their fields, maybe not totally understanding everything that just transpired, but yet a new sense of belonging, a new sense of hope drilled into their hearts – They heard the Angel Chorus, they saw the baby lying in the manger – they heard the words of God, “Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Talk about hope.

Imagine the boys from Gainesville correction center – as they left the field that night under heavy security, they boarded the bus and as it pulled out of the stadium all the boys were on one side of the bus, waving to the fans who had cheered them on – They were beginning to understand Hope – there is someone who cared about them.

Do you understand Hope?  Hope is revealed to all of us, because there is someone who cares for you:

Note verses 6-9

Romans 5:6-9 (NIV)
⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

·       Still powerless

Lost – have you ever been lost?  I experienced that sensation once in LA a few years back when I was directed off the HWY because of an accident – Late at night, Strange town (Large Strange Town) No idea where I was heading or how to get back to where I needed to be – After about an hour I found a Hotel and stopped to ask directions – When I told them where I was heading they asked, How did you end up here?”

40 minutes later it was a wonderful feeling to see the lights of the hotel where I was staying – the Lost has been found – release of the stress, the pressure off, the rest of the trip was great. 

I see many people going through life just like that – just like the boys from Gainesville – hopelessness, alone, feeling that no one really cares or feeling so full of guilt that you can never feel release –

Some of you may remember John Bunyon’s great literary work, called Pilgrims Progress – A story of a man’s search for peace – his life dragged down by the heavy pack on his back –

Watch this clip – Play Clip from 1 – Stop at 150 – Single Cross (Check out you tube – Pilgrims progress)

 The Cross of Jesus – Where love reigns supreme – Here God allowed his Son to lay down his life as a ransom for many – note again our text

·       Died for the ungodly

John 15:9-13 (NIV)
⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

·       Justified

Many are like the man in Pilgrims progress carrying around a very heavy burden – a burden of guilt, a burden of shame, a burden of brokenness, today is the day to be free from those burdens, why don’t you bring them to the cross of Jesus Christ, let those burdens be rolled away, covered by the blood of Jesus and begin a new year as a brand new person, It’s time for you to quit saying I can’t and say I can, Say I do believe that God has the power to change my life, quit trying to fix others, quit trying to fix yourself and surrender your heart to Jesus Christ..  It’s time for you to receive this wonderful gift that God has offered.  It can truly change your life, your burdens can be rolled away, lifted – freedom can reign in your heart and joy can replace shame.

Lee Strobel tells of a baptism service at Saddleback church in California:  We told people before they came up to the platform to be baptized to take a piece of paper, write down a few of the sins they’ve committed, and fold the paper.  When they come up to the platform, there was a large wooden cross on the stage.  Take that piece of paper, take a pin, and pin it to the cross, because the Bible says our sins are nailed to the cross with Jesus Christ, fully paid for by his death.  Then turn and come to be baptized.

One woman wrote after her baptism.  “I remember my fear.  In fact, it was the most fear I remember in my life.  I wrote as tiny as I could on that piece of paper the word abortion.  I was so scared someone would open the paper and read it and find out it was me.  I wanted to get up and walk out of the auditorium during the service, the guilt and fear were that strong.

When my turn came, I walked toward the cross, and I pinned the paper there.  I was directed to a pastor to be baptized.  He looked me straight in the eyes, and I thought for sure that he was going to read this terrible secret I kept from everybody for so long.  But instead, I felt like God was telling me, I love you.  It’s ok. You’ve been forgive. I felt so much love for me, a terrible sinner.  It’s the first time I ever really felt forgiveness and unconditional love.  It was unbelievable, Indescribable.