HCBC 12-16-07 AM

The Messiah Has Come

Christmas is about gifts!

It’s about giving and receiving!

What Have We Received?

1.  God’s Love

          John 3:16

          1 John 4:7-12

2.  Forgiveness of Sin

          Matthew 26:8

          Acts 10:43

          Acts 13:38

          Acts 26:18

          Ephesians 1:7

          Hebrews 8:22

3.  Peace with God

          Romans 5:1

4.  Eternal Life

          John 10:27-28

          1 John 5:11-12

5.  God’s Spirit

          John 14:15-18

6.  The Body of Christ

          Ephesians 1:23

          Ephesians 4:25

          Ephesians 5:30

7.  Hope

          1 Peter 1:3-9

          Colossians 1:27

What Can We Give?

Love           Matthew 22:34-40

          Time

          Mt 14:22-23   Immediately Jesus made the disciples

                   get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the

                   other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  23                          After he had dismissed them, he went up on a

                   mountainside by himself to pray. When evening

                   came, he was there alone,

          Col 4:2-3  Devote yourselves to prayer, being

                   watchful and thankful.  3  And pray for us, too,

                   that God may open a door for our message, so

                   that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for

                   which I am in chains.

          Talents

                   The Example of Christ:

                   Mat 20:28   just as the Son of Man did not

                   come to be served, but to serve, and to give his

                   life as a ransom for many."

Php 2:7  but made himself nothing, taking the very

nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

The Example of Paul

Acts 20:19  I served the Lord with great humility and

          with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots

          of the Jews.

Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be

          an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God--

The Teaching of Scripture

Mt 20:26   Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to

become great among you must be your servant,

          Gal 5:13  You, my brothers, were called to be free.

          But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful

          nature ; rather, serve one another in love.

Eph 6:7   Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were

serving the Lord, not men,

1 Pet 4:10  Each one should use whatever gift he has

received to serve others, faithfully administering

God's grace in its various forms.

          Treasures

          Lk 6:38  Giving is investing with God

          Mk 12:41-44  Giving is to be sacrificial

Lk 16:10  Giving is not a matter of what you have

Lk 19:1-8  Giving amounts are personally determined

Acts 2:43-47  Giving is to be in response to need

1 Cor 16:1-2  Giving is to be planned

2 Cor 8:2  Giving is to be generous

2 Cor 9:6-11  Giving generally results in blessing