We have been having fun in our Christmas conversation called All I Want For Christmas this year. And here we are, just days before the big day. This is a beautiful time of year, but it can throw a lot at us, too, can’t it? We have Christmas parties to attend, shopping to get done, traveling or hosting to get ready for, and many people to engage…some of these people we probably have done a great job avoiding all year. We may not want to sound like the Grinch that stole Christmas, but it’s fair to say that it can be a lot. For some, this is the most festive and happy time of year; those are the people who have been blaring Christmas music since October. I have a few of those people in my home. For others, it is the most stressful time of year managing schedules, shopping lists, and worrying about money, food, and people, and for them, it’s sad, but 2025 can’t come soon enough. Others struggle through Christmas time, feeling alone this time of year. Christmas has a way of ramping up our lives. Through all of that, it is easy to forget what we are celebrating, and it makes moments like this so important because we have to focus and reflect on the greatest gift of all time, Jesus. He truly is the reason for the season. Through this series, we want you to see that our faith is more than attending church on Sundays or learning information for our minds; it’s how we live our lives. When we walk with Jesus, we experience incredible gifts in our lives. We have been looking at six gifts we experience as we allow Him into our lives. Hope, Peace, Joy, Grace, Salvation, and The Holy Spirit. The best part of these gifts is that we can experience them regardless of what we are walking through, which is important because life is challenging and throws so much at us. We can walk through stressful, painful, confusing, and challenging times and experience these gifts in life. Today, we discuss the incredible gift of salvation.
I want to ask you a couple of questions as we start today. First, I want you to think back for a moment. Can you remember something you wanted, I mean REALLY wanted for Christmas? This was the thing that you thought about all year long, told your parents about, and wrote letters to Santa about, couldn’t sleep Christmas Eve just hoping it would be under the tree for you to open Christmas morning? Wondering how you would even survive if it wasn’t under the tree? I want you to think about that gift and those feelings, and now I want to add to that. Think about how it felt when you opened it Christmas morning. It may have been years ago, but I want you to remember how that felt. It was probably a mix of pure excitement, happiness, and maybe some relief that it was there, but it was amazing, wasn’t it? You couldn’t wait to open the box and play with that gift, could you? Pure joy, in that moment, nothing else mattered. Your life was made complete by the Super-Cliff Hanger Race Track, the Cabbage Patch Kid…or the new Atari 2600 games system. Sorry, I just dated myself there. Can you remember it? It was the best day ever. That gift was never going to leave your side. It was just you and the incredible gift you received on that day. It’s a process we see when we get that great gift: we accept it, enjoy it, and share it. We can’t wait to share this news with our friends. Now, one last question for you to personalize. How did you feel about that gift a year later? Was it still the only thing you wanted, the only thing that could make your day complete? Did you play with that thing as you once did? Think about that. It was the greatest gift of all time, but over time, we get bored with it, lose interest in it, or inevitably something more exciting and important comes around. It is no longer by our side all the time. Now, it is in the toybox collecting dust. It was the greatest gift of all time until it wasn’t. Odds are that by the following year, there is a new thing we have to have, and we have put some distance between us and that gift from last year that excited us.
I have watched this with my children and have experienced it myself. We receive the greatest gift ever, but over time, other things grab our attention and pull us away from what once was the best thing that has ever happened to us. This paints a clear picture of what happens to so many Christians along the way. And it’s what I want to talk to you about today as we discuss the incredible gift of Salvation. Two weeks ago, I pointed you to a verse from Paul that sums up what we celebrate at Christmas.
Romans 8:3 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. MSG
That is what Christmas is all about. God entered the world to redeem us, help us, and do something for us that we couldn’t accomplish on our own! All through Scripture, we are shown that this is a gift. This is THE GIFT!
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. NIV
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV
Do you see it? The gift of God is eternal life to look forward to in Jesus our Lord, even though we didn’t earn it and don’t deserve it. What we earn is death, and what God gives us is eternal life through Jesus. God loves us this much…and gave us the most important gift of all time in Jesus.
John 3:16 “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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” NIV
This is the good news message that we get so excited about! It’s the greatest gift of all time, and the beauty is that all we have to do is accept it, and it’s ours. This was the verse Ken ended with last week, and it’s so beautiful. All we have to do is ask Jesus in, accept the gift that He is, believe in Him, and get the greatest gift of all time: eternal life!
Romans 10:9 Say the welcoming word to God — “Jesus is my Master” — embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. MSG
We pray that you can wrap your heart around this gift because when you do, it will forever change you. It’s transformational. You will never be the same once you have experienced God’s saving grace. Well, that leads to an important question. If you have asked Jesus into your life and accepted this incredible gift…is your life different? What has changed since opening this incredible gift from God? That leads to something I think about all the time. Why is it so rare to see Christians who live differently because of this incredible gift in their lives? It’s so interesting, and I think it’s where the rubber truly meets the road in our lives. This feels like a big moment for us today. It could be the moment that leads to our best lives or the moment that leaves us wondering why Christianity advertises so much that we don’t ever experience in our lives.
I would say this about the gift of salvation: it is the gift that leads to all the other gifts in our lives. This gift gives us hope, peace, joy, and overwhelming victory. It fuels our energy levels and motivates us to live, love, and serve others. This gift changes us from the inside out, overwhelming us with humility and gratitude. It’s a gift that is so monumental in our lives that we want to share it with everyone around us! Remember that process I shared with our Christmas presents. It’s the same here. We accept it, enjoy it, and share it. But, if we are honest, those qualities that I just listed sound fantastic, but I’m not sure that is how we would describe most Christians today, would we? It’s actually pretty rare to see Christians live this way, isn’t it? It’s a good question if you are a Christian listening to this talk today. Is that how you would describe your life?
What has changed in your life because you have accepted the incredible gift of Jesus?
That leads to something I think about all the time. Why do so many Christians seem so tired, frustrated, and defeated when they would tell you of Jesus and this gift they say they have in their life? A gift that should fill us with hope, joy, peace, freedom, victory, and energy? Why is that? How does this happen? Do they not love God? I don’t believe that is true at all. I think they love God. Are they just bad people? No, I don’t think that is it either…they are good people who love God. Do they not want to go to Heaven someday…no, that isn’t it. They absolutely want eternal paradise someday. So, what is going on?
Remember, at the beginning of this talk, we were thinking back to opening the greatest gift ever on Christmas morning. I wanted you to remember how it felt, the excitement, the pure joy, and the shock that you had received the most incredible gift of all time. You cherished it. You played with it constantly. You were so excited you couldn’t wait to tell your friends about the gift. But fast forward a few months, and think about that gift and where it ended up. It is probably collecting dust on a shelf or in a toy box. It’s no longer what you hold most dear and want to play with all the time. We get tired of it, bored with it, and maybe distracted from it by the new things that we want just as much or more. At one time, it was everything until it wasn’t. You know, that is one thing when it’s a Cabbage Patch doll, a Tonka Truck, or an Atari Game System, but that is a whole other thing when it’s the gift of Jesus in our lives. And I would say it’s very similar to what happens to us Christians. We love the gift, but life hits, stuff happens, new things come up…and we end up distancing ourselves from the greatest gift ever. I will ask you a question now that we will revisit later. When was the last time you thought about what Jesus did for you? When was the last time you reflected on your salvation story and thanked Jesus for who He is and what He has done for you? When was the last time you thanked God for the greatest gift of all time, which includes life for all time? Ok, let’s keep going. As I thought through this concept and how I wanted to share it with you today, one particular moment from Jesus’ life stood out to me.
Luke 17:11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him — and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” NIV
Isn’t this fascinating? Jesus heals ten people of leprosy here, and of those ten men, only one returns to Jesus and thanks Him for doing this incredible healing in His life. One out of ten. They all desperately needed Jesus and begged Him for help. He gives it to them, and as quickly as they desperately needed Him, it seems is as quickly as nine of them moved on with their lives. How does that happen? Were they bad people? I don’t think that is it. We don’t know what happened next for those nine, but one thing is certain. They no longer needed Him like they once did. The pressure is off. Their urgency for Jesus left when their pain and pressure left them. Can anyone relate to this? I think we all can. So often, it’s hard to center on Jesus when the pressure and pain of life are lifted off us, and we wonder why we have to deal with tough stuff in life! Hey, maybe they just were so excited that they didn’t remember to come back and thank Him. We see that with kids when they open gifts at times, they forget to say thank you in all the excitement. That could be it, but you would think they would be so loving, loyal, and thankful to Jesus for this incredible miracle, but only one of ten focuses on Him. One of the ten showed gratitude and remembered Him. Quite frankly, that is probably an accurate ratio for us Christians today, too.
When I read this story, I see so much of us in it. Can you remember times when you desperately needed Jesus and how desperate you were for Him? Do you remember that feeling when you accepted Him in your life? The joy, the excitement, your life is now complete. What a gift, and it probably led you to accept it, enjoy it, and share Him with others. We are drawn to Jesus and so thankful for the gift of salvation. Like a kid on Christmas morning, the gift consumes us, and we want to let everyone know what he has done for us. But life keeps hitting, more things keep popping up, and as exciting as that all felt in that moment, over time, in our struggles, the passion and excitement fade. Just like that amazing gift we loved on Christmas morning, the incredible gift of salvation can get pushed aside in our lives, and if we aren’t careful, it collects dust in the toybox piled in with everything else we are collecting in life. We don’t mean it, but it can happen. This makes me think of Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus in Revelation.
Revelation 2:2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. NLT
What do we see here? Good people who are doing good things. People who have worked patiently and hard for God without quitting. People who pursue holiness and godly lives. People who have walked through so much in their lives and have not quit. But what is the complaint against them? It’s not that they are bad people or are sinning openly in horrific ways. It’s that they don’t love Jesus as they once did. I think this is the condition so many of us find ourselves in. We have accepted the great gift, but life keeps happening, slowly eroding our energy and passion for God over time. If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves in this same spiritual condition. Going through the motions and not enjoying the amazing gift of Jesus as we once did. Can you remember the feeling of Jesus entering your life? Is it as fresh today as it once was? Why or why not? If you’re feeling this way about your faith, I want to show you how we can keep this gift as fresh and exciting as the first day you opened it. I could point back to all the spiritual practices we need and are to do that would allow us to keep Jesus in the forefront of our minds. Daily time with Him in prayer, His word, Sabbath rest, worship, belonging to a Spiritual Family, and down the list I could go. Those are all so important, but for today, I want to show you the thing that keeps it fresh and then one exercise to do when it doesn’t feel as fresh as it once did. It’s what we saw in the one leper who returned to Jesus. Do you know what it is?
It’s gratitude.
As a dad, I don’t need my children to thank me for what I give them. It’s nice if they do, but it’s not needed or expected. The best way they can thank me is to thrive and live their best lives. That’s all a dad wants for his child. But you know, it is nice when they do thank me. And it sure does something in their hearts and mine when they do! I think that is a mirror of how God feels about us.
We need gratitude much more than God needs a thank you!
Our gratitude reveals our hearts toward Him and sends a clear message of our love and value for Him. Giving thanks to God is an act of worship and softens our hearts, revealing how important things are to us. It does a work in us.
As parents, when we get the kids something, how do we know they love the gift? They use it and keep it close to them everywhere they go. When they hold the gift close and use it, you know it matters to them. It’s no different with the gift of Jesus in our lives. Our Heavenly Father knows it matters to us when we hold it close, living in it, forever living grateful, worshipful lives because of this incredible gift. With a great gift, we accept it, enjoy it, and share it. So, it’s time I ask you an important question. When was the last time you thanked God for all He has done for you? When was the last time your prayers to God were about all you were thankful for and not all you need from Him? When was the time you worshiped outside of singing on a Sunday morning? When was the last time you looked at His beautiful Creation and told Him how awesome it is? When was the last time that you slowed down to reflect on all the blessings God has given you? When was the last time your life and how you are living it reflected gratitude for Jesus? When was the last time you felt so grateful for God’s grace that you had to share it with others?
You know, life is hard. It’s full of challenges, tests, adversity, and distraction. If we aren’t careful, over time, we can stop enjoying the gift of Jesus in our lives. In all that we face in life, we can become like those nine lepers; we get some relief from life and forget to be thankful! Now, we are relieved and happy, but we can end up forgetting the gift of Jesus. For others, we are like the church in Ephesus. We do the right thing with patient endurance. We walk through tough stuff, and we don’t quit, but over time, it all adds up, and the hurts, pressures, and issues of life just lean in hard, and we lose passion and energy, not loving Him as we once did. It didn’t happen all at once. It was a slow erosion over time. If we are in that space, odds are you are feeling tired, worn down by life and people, wondering where this abundant life is that Jesus came to provide, and maybe even questioning your faith, wondering why you signed up for something that didn’t make life easier. If you are there in that spot, you are probably tired and need some energy back in your life. Do you know where you find it? The energy and life you desire is found in the gift you may have forgotten about, thrown in the toybox of life, or distanced yourself from. That feeling you had when you accepted the gift of Jesus is the feeling we should have every moment of every day. But, I would say maybe one out of ten people can stay focused and refreshed in this gift. And what did Jesus tell the people of Ephesus in that spot? “Turn back to me.”
Scripture tells us what to do when we struggle with our faith or life. If you are tired and worn out, walking through hard times, overwhelmed, or just struggling through all that life is throwing at you. The Bible tells us what to do. We go back to the gift that Jesus is and go over all that He did for us over and over again. This gives us the ability to live the very lives He intended for us to be living. This brings energy back into your lives…it reminds us of Him, the gift, and fills us with gratitude for it all.
Hebrews 12:3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! MSG
When the pressure of life feels like it’s too much, your stress level or fears are pushing in. This is what you do. Go over that story again and again. When you are tired and unsure if you can keep fighting the good fight, you go over the story again and again. When you find yourself questioning God and your purpose or existence, wondering if you can keep going, you go over the gift of Jesus again and again. Think of all He went through for you. If you are in here today and you are feeling stress, pain, or pressure or just feeling flat in your faith, I want to encourage you to do what Scripture tells us and go over that story of what Jesus did for you over and over again. Allow that gift to feel as new and fresh as it did the first day you accepted it!
So, as we close today, I want you to think this all through, so let’s personalize this. We will start here. Jesus is the greatest gift you will ever receive. It’s interesting, but over time, just like those Christmas presents we once needed so much, the joy and excitement can fade if we aren’t careful. So let me ask you, Can you remember the day you asked Jesus into your life and truly knew you were saved? Do you remember how it felt to experience grace? When was the last time you went over that story and thanked God for that incredible gift in your life? Does the Christmas story and scriptures like John 3:16 just feel a little stale or boring today? Kind of like, been there, done that. Can I tell you something? That is a warning sign that you’re not walking in and experiencing this gift like you once did. When was the last time you shared what Jesus has done for you with someone else? Remember, we accept it, enjoy it, and share it! If you are tired and struggling to stay aligned with God, odds are you have put distance between yourself and this incredible gift from God. If that is you, the beauty is all you have to do is turn back to Him and regain what you feel like you lost.
Please take time today and this week to reflect on all that Jesus has done for you. Allow gratitude to flood back into your heart and mind, pushing out all those things that can pull you away from God. Then, work through a couple of exercises moving forward in your life.
Take time each day to thank God in prayer.
Do this a couple of times a day. Set up a few reminders on your phone calendars to thank God for all He has done for you.
Thank Him by how you live your life.
Thank Him and show how meaningful the gift He gave you is by sharing Jesus with those around you.
And if you are struggling, questioning God, or just feeling flat in your faith, it’s time to go back over the story of what Jesus did for you, that will shoot adrenaline into your soul. Go over it again and again. And, if you are in here today and have never accepted Jesus into your life, I would invite you to do that now. You can experience this gift today. The beauty of this gift is that all you have to do is accept it, and it’s yours!
From all of us here at MRC, we pray that you will have a restful, joyful Christmas with your family and friends…and, most of all, that you will accept this gift of Jesus in your life and hold it so close that your life is forever changed, and lived in the passion and energy and victory that we all have through Jesus, the true reason for the season!