24-1223P_THE GREATEST WRAPPED GIFT
Mat 2:1 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,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Mat 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Mat 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Mat 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Mat 2:9 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.
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 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.
Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
.png)
*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.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN
V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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.
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 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; 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.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN
V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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."*BUT GOD DON'T SEND IT ALL THE TIME LIKE THAT. HE SENDS IT IN THE POWER, THE WAY HE WANTS TO SEND IT.
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.
*ANOTHER THING, IT WAS BROUGHT BY THE POOR.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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.
IT OUGHT TO BE REAL ATTRACTIVE TO THE PEOPLE. LITTLE JEHOVAH CRYING LIKE A BABY, GOD MADE FLESH IN A PACKAGE.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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?
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
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.
*THEY REFUSED THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL OF THE POWER AND THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST JESUS.
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.
56 I was listening this morning, as I was going down to mama's early, turned on the radio, and a--a church was quoting or saying the--what is called the Apostles' Creed. There is no such a thing. The only creed the apostles ever knowed to had is found in Acts 2:38, "Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sin, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." That's the only creed I ever seen in the Bible they ever used.
This other one is a man-made creed. And you cannot wrap Christ in a Presbyterian creed, or in a Baptist creed, or a Catholic creed, or a Pentecostal creed. The only one thing that Christ will be wrapped in, and that's your heart, not your creed. He wants your heart. He's got a control tower there that He likes to work with you, bring you to Eternal Life. He just won't accept; and you cannot wrap Him in creeds. You can't then, you can't now, you never will be able to do it.
THAT'S THE WAY THE CHURCH IS, AND PEOPLE DO TODAY, THEY FORGET THAT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
59 So they could not receive It because they thought more of their creeds than they did of the Gift. That's the way it is today. People can't accept speaking with tongues in their church; it would ruin their creed. They can't accept Divine healing, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and such great evangelical doctrines of the Bible, apostolic truths. Why? Because their creed condemns It. Oh, how foolish to take the paper the Package is wrapped in, and throw the Gift away. Like the moron, he took the box and accepted it, and throwed the gift away. That's the way the church is, and people do today, they forget that the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ. He's rejected as much today as He was then. This Christmas night, He's just as much rejected as He was the first Christmas night. They cannot do it, because it disagrees with their creeds. All down through the ages we've had the same thing.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
61 No wonder there was no room for Him in the inn. No, wasn't wrapped right; It wasn't wrapped, the classical paper around It. It was wrapped as a Gift, as a Gift from God, sent from God, a God that they didn't know nothing about. They claimed they did. And they claimed they was looking for Him. But He did not come in the way that they thought He was coming, according to their creeds, and they could not receive God's Gift. He was wrapped different. He was wrapped up like a baby. He was borned in a manger. He come from poor people. He come from a bunch of fanatics, so how could they receive something like that? No wonder there was no room for Him in the inn.
*BUT THE REAL GIFT THAT'S ON THE INSIDE OF IT, THEY DON'T WANT IT.
63 They'd rather have a creed than they would the Gift. They'd rather have the paper than the Gift. They want the paper, sure, something that's all tinsel, and a lot of fuss they can do about it. But the real Gift that's on the inside of it, they don't want It.
*GOD'S GIFT PACKAGE, WRAPPED UP IN THE FORM TODAY OF HOLY GHOST.
GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_ JEFF.IN V-14 N-8 SUNDAY_ 60-1225
56 God's Gift Package, wrapped up in the form today of Holy Ghost. He was wrapped up then, He called the Son of God. God's Gift Package was just taken up and rewrapped again and sent back. Amen. He was wrapped up in the Son of God then; It's wrapped up in sons of God today, called the Church. That's right. God's Gift Package wrapped to the people, and they refuse It today just as they refused then. "If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, a fortuneteller, because He could discern the thoughts, how much more will they do you?" Yeah, "They called the Master of the house..." Oh, my. Let's find out.
Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Eph 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Eph 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment