Christ, the Gift Above All Gifts

Summary

This Christmas service celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. The pastor reminded the church that we often miss the full joy of Christmas because we do not pause to ponder what really happened: God left the glory of heaven and came to earth to save us. Quoting Romans 3:23, that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, he stressed that no one enters God's kingdom by good works, beautiful songs, or even sermons; only Jesus opens the way.

The preacher compared the greatest gift of our lives to the famous Rockefeller Center tree, which after the season is sawn into boards and used to build a home for someone in need. In the same way, the birth of Christ is a gift no one earned. Reading Mark 1:15 and Acts 2:21, he proclaimed that the time is fulfilled, the kingdom is near, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Sharing his own wonder at God's mercy, he said the clearest proof that Christ was born is the lives of people God has saved, healed, and set free. He invited everyone present and watching online to receive God's gift that day, led a prayer of repentance, and urged new believers to find a church and live by the Word of God.

Key Points

• The full joy of Christmas comes only when we stop to consider why Christ came.
• All have sinned, and no good work earns entrance to God's kingdom; salvation is through Jesus alone.
• The birth of Christ is the greatest gift, and a true gift is something we never deserved.
• Christ was born not only 2000 years ago but longs to be born in every heart.
• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and today can be your day.
• The changed lives of those God has saved, healed, and freed are living proof that Christ has come.
• Receiving the gift means repenting, opening your heart to Christ, and then living by His Word.