By Pastor Chuck Bonner

Victory Baptist Church, Oshkosh, WI

Text: Topical - Christmas

Luke 2:20  "And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." Matthew 2:12 "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
 

I.   A Gift Of A renewed Life

    A. In Christ, we are a new Creature 

II Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore if any man be in Christ,  he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."

    B. In Matthew 2:12, they departed "another way" 

            1. When we come to Christ, we should "go" another way from they
                way that we were going

            2.  We should exhibit a changed life a. blind Bartimaus was not the
                same after he received Jesus b. the Maniac of Gadara  was not 
                the same after he received Jesus

II. A Gift Of Service

    A. The shepherds "came with haste"  Luke 2:16

            1. they found Jesus 

            2. they wasted no time in doing so

    B. Zaccheus also came with haste

    C. We need to come with "haste"

            1. Isaiah said in  Isaiah 6:8 "...here am I, send me."

            2. Saul said in Acts 9:6  "...Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?..."
 

III. The Gift Of Worship

        A. In Matthew 2:11 the wise men "...fell down and
                worshipped Him..."

        B. Our need to humble ourselves before God and to
                worship Him

        C. This indicates a heart of submission unto the Lord
 

IV. Appropriate Gifts

        A. The wise men brought four types of gifts in Matthew
                2:11

                1. Gold; a tribute to a King and shows forth His Deity

                2. Frankincense would be symbolic of purity of life; a sweet
                    smelling savor

                3. Jesus is God, He did not and cannot sin  I Peter 2:21-22

                4. Myrrh is bitter and would show forth the bitter death of Christ
                        to come

    B. What would our gift to Christ be?

                1. Romans 12:1-2

                2. I Corinthians 15:31 Paul tell us that "...I die daily." 

                3. The need to give of ourselves in serving the Lord 

                4. What will I loose in receiving Christ as Saviour? 

                5. What will I loose in serving God?

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