20-1225A_GOD'S WRAPPED GIFT

GOD'S WRAPPED GIFT

60-1225

11    And now, I'm going to read from St. Matthew's Gospel the--the 2nd chapter for a Scripture reading, the 2nd chapter of St. Matthew.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, where is he that's born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king... heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together, he demanded... them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophets,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea, art thou not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring word again, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:... when they had opened their treasures, and presented unto him gifts; of gold,... frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed in their own country another way.

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  12    Now I want to take a text out of there tonight, or not from there, but out of the same story in St. Luke 2:7.

And she brought firth--brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloth, and laid him in the manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

THINKING OF BETHLEHEM, AND WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO BE THAT IT WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE KING OF KINGS?

  19    Thinking of Bethlehem, and why did it happen to be that it was chosen to be the birthplace of the King of kings? And, you know, Bethlehem is a small place, very small town. I've often wondered why God didn't choose a more religious place for it, for this great event, such as Shiloh. Shiloh was the first place the tent--the ark was set after it crossed Jordan. Or Gilgal, another great religious city; or Zion, on the mountain, another great religious city; or even the proud capital of Jerusalem, with all of its sages and saints through the age. Why didn't God choose Jerusalem?

 

WHY WOULD HE CHOOSE BETHLEHEM?

  20    Why would He choose Bethlehem? Maybe it looked like He might've chose some place, one of the great cities of refuge, that would've protected His Son in case that some trouble come up. The refuge places like Ramoth-gilead, that was a great refuge that was built, for the people could run into these towers. Kadesh was another great city of refuge; Hebron, another great city of refuge.

Why God picked on little Bethlehem, and then did not choose these greater cities...?... They had greater names, and more of a spiritual background.

But, you know, God has a way of doing things, just His Own way about things. I'm so glad He does. See? Sometimes He takes things that doesn't have a spiritual background, or doesn't have any background at all. And that's why He is God; He can take something that's nothing, and make something out of it. And then that's what makes Him God. That's what makes us love Him. That's what makes us poor people appreciate Him, because that even though we, poor, with no background, yet God can do great things with us if He ever gets us under His control.

 THIS GREAT CITY, WHICH WAS A SMALL CITY. BUT IT'S GREAT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THIS CITY.

  23    Joshua, of course, was the one who taken the children of Israel over and divided up the ground. And this tribe of Judah was given this portion where Bethlehem is, which is in the upper northern corner of the province of Judah, a little strip that kind of runs out like a little peninsula. And in this place, this province, this great province, it's the northern wheat country, where the wheat belt was, where they raised lots of wheat and barley.

  24    And one of Caleb's sons established and founded this city. Salmon was his name, he was one of Caleb's sons. If you want to look that up, I'm skipping over a lot of these Scriptures, but I see some of the brethren are putting them down. In I Chronicles 2, 15, also you find it in Matthew 1:5, and where they--he established and founded this great city, which was a small city. But it's great because of the great things that happened at this city.

 NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PEOPLE, JUST AS LONG AS GOD CHOSE IT.

As I've always said, it isn't the great church; it's the great God in the church. It isn't the great, holy mountain; it's the great Holy Spirit that was on the mountain. It isn't the holy man; it's the Holy Ghost in the man.

See, that's the way this city was. It was small in stature, and more in the valley, and it wasn't too much to look upon; it's population was small, and is yet today. But it was because God chose it to do something. That's what I like: something that God chooses. No matter what it looks like to people, just as long as God chose it.

 RAHAB

  27    Rahab the harlot, that we're all familiar with, she being a--a young girl that was turned on the street by a heathen father and mother, that put her on the street because she was beautiful, and was to bring an income to them on prostitution... And yet, down in this immoral girl that was turned on the street, she had heard that there was a God Who answered prayer. And the first opportunity that she got to accept that God, or do something for Him, she did it. And God spared her life, and saved her father and mother, and her family. She fell in love with a general in the army of Israel, we find in history, and married this general. And their courtship was wonderful. And finally they settled down and lived at Bethlehem.

  28    And through this general she brought to the world a--a son, the son of--of--of... I can't think of the general's name just now. I was trying to. I thought I had his name down here, but I don't. I have her son's name, but it was Rahab's son to this general. His name was Salmon. Not the Solomon of the... built the temple, the son of David, but another Salmon. And this Salmon brought forth a son whose name was Boaz. And Boaz, oh, we are all acquainted with that wonderful story of Boaz and Ruth.

 ALL THIS TAKEN PLACE IN LITTLE BETHLEHEM.

  29    Now, you see, this harlot was a Gentile, and she was an ancient grandmother to our Lord Jesus. And also when--when Boaz, her grandson, come forth and married Ruth the Moabite, he also married into a Gentile. Which made Jesus also part Gentile, earthly speaking. Then when they brought their child forth, his name was Obed. And Obed had a son, and his name was Jesse. And Jesse had a son whose name was David. All this taken place in little Bethlehem. What is it? The lineage of the Lord Jesus, His background that the great spiritual men were overlooking, or the so-called spiritual men.

 SAMUEL THE PROPHET ANOINTED DAVID TO BE KING OVER ISRAEL, RIGHT HERE AT BETHLEHEM.

  30    And it was on this same grounds that Samuel the prophet anointed David to be king over Israel, right here at Bethlehem. And through David came forth the great Son, "Thou Son of David," the Son that was borned in a little stable manger over by the side of the hill, on the west side of the city. It was there on that hill where the Angels of God sang their first Noel.

The word "Bethlehem," let's break it down. "B-e-t-h" means "house." "E-l" means "God." "E-l-h-a-m" means "bread.": "the house of God's Bread." How fitting it was then for the Bread of Life to come out of Bethlehem, "House of God's Bread." Oh, it's a beautiful story.

 BUT ALL THINGS ARE FOREORDAINED OF GOD, THAT WORKS TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM.

  33    But all things are foreordained of God, that works together for good to them that love Him. It was ordained of God that there should be a heartless king in that day, the bloodthirsty Herod. God knew about that. God knew about the taxes, and how this brutal government did not have no thoughts of the mercy on that poor mother that was just about to be ready to deliver her firstborn Son just in a few days. But he commanded that they all should come to their native birthplace and pay taxes, "No matter what condition she's in, she's got to come, anyhow." God knew all about that. He foreknew all things. And He--He knows all things (See?) and He makes everything work together for good.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  34    The little trio was making no fuss about it, as they come up the hill. Finally, after much groaning, the little donkey... I can see them as they'd stop at the top of the hill, where they come up from the west side, from Nazareth, coming over. And after they topped the hill, to look down into the valley where little Bethlehem laid... Many torches was burning. Many people had gathered from all over Galilee to come into their birthplace there at Bethlehem, and through the province to be taxed of the Roman government. No matter what conditions, they'd stroll along the road, the sick and the needy, and the bedridden, the leper, the cancered, the--the--the--the poor, the lame, the halt, the blind. All had to come, because it was a government order. And Herod was behind it, and it must be done.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  35    And as our little party stops at the top of the hill, there must've been a large rock laying there. And I can see Joseph pick her up tenderly in his arms, and help her off the little mule, and--and set her up on the side of the rock. And the little mule sighed for his breath. And as Joseph then walked a few steps forward, looked down into little Bethlehem, and seen the streets crowded, and the roaring, the torches a-burning in the streets, and the yells of the people, and they was laying in the yards and in the courts, and all outside the city gates. Must've been some sight.

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  36    Joseph must've said something like this, "Mary, dear, just think, just beyond the city on the north side, that's where Ruth the Moabite gleaned yonder in the fields of Boaz. Yonder, just beyond that, up over the mountain yonder, is where David with his slingshot took the lion to the ground, and pulled the sheep from his mouth. Must've been there, that where Joshua stood here with his gleaming sword, the fearless warrior of our people, and divided the lands, and give this inheritance to the tribe of Judah, to which we are--we are lineage to." And, at different things, of how that he must've been explaining to her what taken place.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  37    And then to hear no sound from behind him, he must've turned to look, to see if she was still setting on the rock. And when he turned, and he seen her pretty face turned towards the skies, he didn't have to ask any more, because the reflection of the Star was looking back through her eyes. He knew she was looking at something.

And she looked at him, and said, "Joseph, have you noticed the Star hanging yonder?"

And when he looked in a surprise, say, "I hadn't noticed It before, dear."

"Well, it's been following us ever since the sun went down. I've watched it. It must mean something, because I have the most wonderful feeling."

You know, God does things like that sometimes for His people, shows us a Light, or some way that we can know that He's near and He's on the scene. And no matter what the world has to say or do, He's still there, and everything will be all right. He just witnesses it back by the Holy Spirit, that we can feel It.

 

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  42    And Joseph might've said something like this. "Mary, you know what? I've never been so happy in all my life when I've been drove around by the Roman government; but yet I have never been so happy as I am right now, and I don't know why. It seems like there's a sacredness over the little city tonight, where we roamed when we were boys and girls, back in our teenage and school age."

 FIRST LITTLE CHRISTMAS PACKAGE THAT WAS EVER WRAPPED IN ALL THE WORLD, GOD WRAPPED IT UP.

  43    Way into the East, and many hundreds of miles away from there, the Magi was already on their road. They'd seen His Star, and was coming to worship God's little Gift Package that He was sending to the world.

Just a little while from then, and the world was going to receive its greatest Gift that it ever received, a little Package wrapped up, a little, first little Christmas Package that was ever wrapped in all the world, God wrapped It up.

I want to break in on my thought, and say this. The greatest thing was ever wrapped in human flesh was wrapped in It, God Himself wrapped His Ownself in a Christmas Package and sent it to the world.

 WHY DID THEY REFUSE IT? WHY COULDN'T THEY SEE IT? WHY DID THEY TURN IT DOWN?

Why did they refuse It? Why couldn't they see It? Why did they turn It down? Why is it they didn't want It? The same reason they don't want It tonight. It wasn't handed to them in the custom that they were used to gifts being handed. That's the reason It's rejected yet tonight, is because It's not handed to the people in the custom that they have been used to receiving gifts.

 

BUT GOD WRAPPED HIS OWN PACKAGE. HE'S GOT A RIGHT TO DO IT

But God wrapped His Own Package. He's got a right to do it; He's the One that's a-giving It. He has a right to wrap It any way He wants to wrap It. Doesn't make any difference how it is, He's got a right to do it, because He's the One that's giving the--the Gift.

 

ANOTHER THING, THE REASON OF IT WAS, AS IT WAS THEN, SO AS IT WASN'T CUSTOMARY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE IT THE WAY IT WAS WRAPPED.

  47    Another thing, the reason of it was, as it was then, so as it wasn't customary for them to receive It the way It was wrapped. They was expecting something, a gift coming, that would come down on chariots, with a Angel escort driving fiery horses. But when It come as a little Baby being born in a manger, little did they ever know the Scripture said, "I'll give this world a super sign."

They asked for a sign one day. He said, "I'll give it to you. It will be the super sign. It'll be a sign that'll last through all ages. A virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Child, a Son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel. That's the super sign. That's the Gift that I'm going to give." But It didn't come the way they was expecting It, and they turned It down.

 GIFT HASN'T COME THE WAY PEOPLE WANTED IT TO COME, AND SO THEY'VE TURNED IT DOWN.

  49    So is it tonight, my brother. God's Gift hasn't come the way people wanted It to come, and so they've turned It down. They don't want It. They want It wrapped in the kind of a goods that they want to wrap It in. They want the tinsel on It. They want something flowerly, something that's perfumed, something that's glittering, something that's classic. But God don't send It all the time like that. He sends It in the power, the way He wants to send It.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT THE WAY GOD SENDS IT TO YOU, AND HUMBLE OURSELVES TO RECEIVE IT.

 50    Another thing, It was brought by the poor. Mary and Martha, or Martha, rather, or... Mary and Joseph was very poor people. They were peasants. And because It was brought by the poor, they didn't want It.

So is it today. When this great Gift of the Church, the Holy Spirit, falls upon the poor and humble, the rich don't want It. They don't want to humble themselves. They want It with class, but they don't want It the way God sends It. Many people wants to receive the Holy Ghost, but--but they want to get It the way they want It. But, oh, I'm so glad that you can't do it that way. You have to do it the way God sends It to you, and humble ourselves to receive It.

 OH, WHAT A SUPER SIGN. LITTLE JEHOVAH CRYING LIKE A BABY, GOD MADE FLESH IN A PACKAGE.

  52    It wasn't wrapped in fine linens. It was wrapped in swaddling cloth. Which I'm taught that the very thing that Jesus was wrapped in, the Christ, was the stuff off the back of a yoke of an ox, that was hanging in the stable. He was wrapped in... The swaddling cloth was the--the--where they put the--a rag around the ox's yoke to keep it from rubbing a blister on him when he was pulling. They--they had no clothes for Him. And they... Oh, when I think of that, it nearly breaks my heart: no clothes for Emmanuel, the Creator of heavens and earth. And no clothes for Him to put on, and had to be wrapped in the rag that an ox had worked his neck through. Oh, what a super sign.

  53    It ought to be real attractive to the people. Little Jehovah crying like a baby, God made flesh in a Package. God, Who covers all space and time, was before there was a world, or a star, or a molecule, wrapped Himself in a little Package and was laid in a manger in a stable, where the manures of the cattle and sheep, and things up over that stable, and in this little manger, on straw or hay. Jehovah was laying there, crying like a baby. Can you imagine it?

 THAT WOULD POLLUTE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS, ANYTHING SO HUMBLE.

  54    Why, the rich didn't want nothing like that. That would pollute their own thoughts, anything so humble. And would be brought by a girl, a little peasant girl that was considered in her neighborhood, a--a fanatic, and by a carpenter who probably knowed his abc's. And how could they ever bring forth anything that could tantalize or appease the eyes of the celebrity? How could they ever produce something that would please or satisfy the rich and high-minded people, or the denominations of their days? They were turned down flat.

 THAT'S THE REASON WHY TODAY THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE GIFT OF GOD.

  55    Not only in that day, but in this day also, they turn It down flat. It don't come wrapped the way they want It. They want to--to discard It, say, "There's nothing to It." So the rich and the denominations refuse that Gift. They had nothing to do with It. Why? Why would they do a thing like that? It wasn't wrapped in the custom of their creeds. That's the reason why today that they don't want the Gift of God. This United States don't want God. These churches don't want God. They want Santa Claus. They want something with tinsel and red colors, and--and--and--and bright, shiny things. They refused the Truth of the Gospel of the power and the resurrection of Christ Jesus. It won't wrap with their creeds. You can't wrap Christ in a creed.

 BROTHER, I KNOW NO CREED BUT CHRIST, NO LAW BUT LOVE, AND NO BOOK BUT THE BIBLE. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. THAT'S WHAT THE CHURCHES NEED.

  83    The churches didn't want Him, because He disagreed with their creed. He told them that they were, said, "You generation of vipers, you whited walls." He called them everything that could be taught of. Told old Herod, said, "Go tell that fox." And what's dirtier than a fox? What's more stinking and lowdown than a dirty old fox? Jesus said, "That's what he is." So He--He--He called black "black," and white "white." He--He--He called wrong "wrong," and right "right." So they didn't want that.

The churches today don't want a pastor filled with the Holy Ghost that'll really boil out, and tell you what's right and wrong. They don't want it. They'd fire him, right quick. Deacon board get together and turn him away, get another one will talk about their creeds.

Brother, I know no creed but Christ, no law but love, and no book but the Bible. That's what we need. That's what the churches need.

 

BUT THEY CAN'T TURN GOD, THAT'S ONE THING SURE, GOD'S GOING TO REMAIN GOD.

  86    But the--the--the people don't want It. So they got the church so wrapped up in these denominations till they can take a trustee board or a deacon board and turn a good pastor any way they want to. But they can't turn God, that's one thing sure, God's going to remain God. They won't welcome Him. They welcome their--their friends and their politicians, and so forth, but they won't welcome Christ.

They'd rather have Santa Claus any time. The world's took over; Santa Claus has took over. Well, you know, little children don't even know no more what Christmas means.

 

WHO DID KNOW WHAT WAS IN THIS GIFT PACKAGE? WAS THERE ANYBODY EVER FOUND OUT WHAT WAS IN IT?

  100    Who did know what was in this Gift Package? Was there anybody ever found out what was in It? I'm so glad that there was. Who knowed it? It was a hidden Thing, a rejected Stone, but there was somebody found out what was in it. I'm so glad.

I like to search out things. Don't you? I like to dig up nuggets and polish them over, see what--what's in them, put them before the Geiger.

  102    He was put before the Geiger too on Calvary. He was a hundred percent. Sure, He was, the greatest Gold that they had ever found, the most expensive Diamond that was ever, ever... The--the Bible said that, "The Kingdom of heaven is like a man that buys diamonds. And when he found this great One, he sold all his other ones, and just to get It, to buy It." He's the greatest carated Diamond that was ever brought out of the dust of the earth, the greatest Gold that was ever brought from the dirt. He's a Jewel, the Jewel of heaven, a big Diamond.

  HE WAS A DIAMOND. OH, THEM RAYS OF GOD'S LOVE AND LIGHT REFLECTS FROM HIM HEALING POWER, LOVE, RESURRECTION.

  104    That's what He was; He was a Diamond. "And He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we were healed." Oh, them rays of God's love and Light reflects from Him healing power, love, resurrection. God wounded Him, and bruised Him, and chopped Him, and cut Him by a Roman sword, and a--and a--a Roman whip, until His sides was riven, and the Blood running out of His back, and was over His head, and down through His beard, and off of His feet. But what was He doing? He was reflecting love. He embraced the cross; instead of a soft, feathered pillow; a manger of straw. Instead of a little, pink gown to wear; a swaddling cloth.

 

 THE LOVE OF GOD, HOW GOD UNFOLDED HIMSELF AND COME A CHRISTMAS PACKAGE, WAS LAID ON STRAW.

  107    The love of God, how God unfolded Himself and come a Christmas Package, was laid on straw. The first thing He had was to press against His little head was straw and a dirty piece of swaddling cloth wrapped around Him. The last thing He had was a thorn crown with a dirty rag wrapped over His eyes, and hit on the head, saying, "If you're a prophet, tell us who hit you," and then tacked to a cross. Love reaching out, when His Own children crying for His Blood, He screamed, "Father, forgive them, they don't even know what they're doing." That's love.

The church don't want That. They want creed. We need love. The church is dying by creeds. It can only live by love, because love is Eternal Life. Love overcomes all things. Love's the most powerful force there is. No, they didn't want Him, because they knowed what was in the Gift.