Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
December 21, 2014 - W1451

Let's take our notes out. I want to share with you about the greatest gifts of all. In Matthew chapter 2 we are going to talk about some of the greatest gifts ever, gifts so great that people from the east would travel hundreds of miles to come and find this gift that was right there in Bethlehem.  These people came from Persia, some of the richest spots on the face of the earth, but they knew that the greatest gifts were not in the Far East or the far west.  It was right there in a little place called Bethlehem.

 Matthew 2:1-2 says,

 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, MAGI from the East arrived in Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’” (Matt.  2:1­2)

 I want you to know that some of the greatest gifts are right under our noses. For example, we have the world’s greatest coffee grown right here in Hawaii. Also our own Marcus Mariota won the coveted Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in college football.

 And so today, I’m going to take that acrostic Magi, M?a?g?i, and use it to remind us of the four greatest gifts that are found right here under our noses. Why? Because,

 MAGI STILL SEEK HIM.

 The four greatest gifts can be found in the most classic scripture of all, John 3:16.  Even non?Christians I think know that verse, and I'm hoping that all of us have memorized it.  And in that one verse encapsulated are the four greatest gifts that we need to be reminded of at Christmas time.

 John wrote:

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

1. THE GREATEST M OTIVE   

“For God so loved the world…”

For God there’s no greater motive than love.

See, love, even in your life and mine will hold us to the cross. Love is what will get you up in the morning.  Love is what a mom has in her heart that will keep her being a mom.  It's love in a husband's life for his wife that will keep him strong when the world tells him otherwise and gives him so many different options.  Its love that keeps us committed.  It's not duty.  It's not a mandate.  It is love.  That's what love is all about. 

2. THE GREATEST A CT  

“For God so loved the world that he gave…”

Consequently, love without any action just stays stagnant.  Nothing takes place without love.  But you've got to give it away.  The Bible says this love is what overcame the world, but it had to be given.  If we have a great motive called love but we don't act it, we don't give it, we don't share it, you know what the Bible says, it's no good.  In fact, Christ said, “Men will know that you're my disciples by your …” what, the way you dance or sing?  No. They'll know you're His disciples by your love.

That’s why the Bible says that if we don’t have love and we don’t act on it we are a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Think about it this way.  Think about it like love is a seed.  If you get a little seed and you put it on a shelf and you don't give it away, you don't plant it, if you just leave it there, it's nice a seed.  It's comfortable.  It's dry.  It's happy.  It's warm.  But it does not produce what it was designed to produce.  Love is like that.  If we dam it up in our hearts and hold it back, I mean, it's nice, we don't contribute, we don't have to get involved, but it will never produce what it's supposed to produce. 

3. THE GREATEST G IFT

“For God so loved the world that He gave His 

 Only begotten Son…”

There’s no greater gift than that.

There are some gifts that are expensive and don't last very long, but the gift of the Son, the Son of God has changed millions of lives.  You can't buy it at Macy's or Neiman Marcus.  You can't get it online.  You can't get it off Amazon or eBay; but you already have it.  And that is the greatest gift of all the Son of God has given to you. 

Now, you can run from this gift.  You can refuse this gift.  You can reject this gift.  But you can't ignore it because he has been given for every single one of us.  The greatest motive, for God so loved, that he yielded the greatest act.  He so loved the world that he gave which brought the greatest gift.  God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. 

4. THE GREATEST I NVITATION

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His 

only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in 

Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” 

All of the Christmas story is encapsulated in this one verse that's right under our noses.  See, Magi come from afar to find this greatest gift, and it's right there in the manger.  The greatest motive: for God so loved the world.  The greatest act: that He gave.  He didn't keep it, that He gave.  The greatest gift: his only begotten Son.  Didn't give anything greater.  And that leads to the greatest invitation of all, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. 

And that word "whosoever" is extremely key.  You know what that is?  It's like a blank check.  You write your name in there.  Jesus signed it with His blood.  It's backed up by the bank of heaven.  And if you have any debts the bank of heaven will pay it all in full. “Whosoever” is you.  It opens the door for you, and it opens the door for me.  This invitation isn't just for rich people.  It's not just for poor people.  It's not just for those who are somebody.  It's not just for the religious people.  This whosoever, this invitation is not just for Hawaiians or Caucasians or Filipinos.  It's not just for Portuguese or Japanese or Chinese.

God so loved the world that He gave.  He didn't keep it.  He gave everything He had, His only begotten son, the greatest gift. We'll have the invitation to have His riches be applied to our debt, and there's no greater invitation than that.  Can you think of any? But He gives you this invitation, and can I encourage you to accept that? 

If you've never received Christ, please do so today.  It will be the most eternal decision you'll ever make, and that's what Christmas is all about.

Questions:

1. What are the four greatest gifts?
2. Why is it that love without any action just stays stagnant?
3. Name some of the things that we do out of love.
4. What is the greatest gift ever given?
5. Why is love like a seed?