Christmas is all about Gifts

There are a lot of theories out there about "Christmas" and its true meaning. Some say it's about Santa and his reindeer - other's say it was when Christ was born. A lot of people just see it as a break from the monotany of school and/or work. And then there are the theories that Christmas is "turning pagan" with it's shift to "X-mas" and "Happy Holidays." Whether or not Christ was born on 25 December (highly doubtful), or if Santa Claus can really fit down a chimney without getting burned is something we'll never be able to figure out. And those of us who think X-Mas is an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas need to know that "X" stands for "Xristos," which in english is Christ (messiah/anointed one). Christians need not get caught up in the ruckus of Chrismas debates and take advantage of the season. It is a time where most are excitied to see their families for some fun, food and fellowship. Others see it as a depressing time where they are all alone and cold. We need to share the real meaning of Christmas according to the Bible. Christmas is all about gifts. Here is just 103 gifts for all who believe in Jesus.

100+ “Christmas” Gift’s For All Believers
*Compiled by students at Hope Bible Institute

1. The Gift of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son - John 3:16
2. The Gift of Regeneration by the Holy Spirit - John 3:16
3. The Gift of permanent Indwelling of the Holy Spirit - John 3:16; I Cor 6:19; Gal. 4:6
4. The Gift of Baptism (identification) by the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:5
5. The Gift of being Sealed with the Holy Spirit “until the day of redemption” - Eph 4:30
6. The Gift of unlimited rebound (confession of sin) - 1 John 1:9
7. The Gift of Justification (being declared righteous) - Rom. 3:20
8. The Gift of being a new Creation in Christ where all the old have passed away for good - II Cor. 5:17
9. The Gift of the Filling (influence) of the Holy Spirit - Eph 5:18
10. The Gift of eternal union with Christ - Eph. 1:1-3
11. The Gift of Christ’s election - I Pet. 1:2
12. The Gift of permanent membership (baptism) in the Body of Christ - I Cor. 12:13
13. The Gift of God’s unconditional faithfulness (even when we are unfaithful) - II Tim. 2:12-13
14. The Gift of a pass from death unto eternal life - John 10:28
15. The Gift of no longer being under condemnation - Rom. 8:1
16. The Gift of the FAB (believers) life - Col 3:4
17. The Gift of acceptance in the beloved - Eph 1:6
18. The Gift of Christ’s advocacy - I John 2:1-2
19. The Gift of being chosen of God - Matt. 22:14
20. The Gift of Christ as the foundation of the Believer - I Cor. 3:11
21. The Gift of circumcision in Christ - Col. 2:10
22. The Gift of Christ’s intercession - Heb. 7:25 & Rom. 8:34
23. The Gift of eternal inheritance reserved for us - I Pet. 1:4-
24. The Gift of perfection in Christ - Heb. 10:14
25. The Gift of confirmation unto the end - I Cor. 1:8-9
26. The Gift of appearing with Christ in glory - Rom. 8:30
27. The Gift of death to the law - Rom. 7:4
28. The Gift of Christ bearing our Sins - Isa 53:6
29. The Gift of Salvation by Grace - Eph. 2:8-9
30. The Gift of Christ plus all things - Rom. 8:32
31. The Gift of Christ’s blood - Rom. 5:8-9
32. The Gift of being purchased and belonging to God - Heb. 9:12
33. The Gift of the new birth that is everlasting - I John 3:9
34. The Gift of resurrection - I Cor. 15:51
35. The Gift of protection - Tit. 2:14
36. The Gift of being a vessel of mercy - Rom. 9:23-24
37. The Gift of protection against separation from the love God - Rom 8
38. The Gift of the Comforting Holy Spirit - John 14:16-17
39. The Gift of not being the object of God’s wrath - I Thess 5:9
40. The Gift of sin no longer having dominion over us - Rom. 6:14
41. The Gift of our new and permanent position in the light - I Thess. 5:4-5
42. The Gift of being holy stones in God’s building - Eph. 2:19-22
43. The Gift of being in Him and He in us - John 14:20
44. The Gift of God’s assurance - Heb. 10:22
45. The Gift of Christ’s prayer, which must be answered - John 17:15
46. The Gift of God’s promise to finish the work He began - Phil. 1:6
47. The Gift of being God’s elect - Rom. 8
48. The Gift of being in Christ’s grip - John 10:28-29
49. The Gift of being joint heirs with Christ - Rom. 8:17
50. The Gift of reconciliation by and to God - Eph. 2:14-17
51. The Gift of crucifixion with Christ - retroactive positional truth - Rom 6:6-8
52. The Gift of Scripture, the Word of Truth - II Tim. 3:16
53. The Gift of the gospel of grace - Tit. 2:11
54. The Gift of the “sin unto death” – the length God will go to save us - I John 5:16
55. The Gift of God’s love, which endures forever - Ps. 136:1-26
56. The Gift of Christ’s expiation (God accepts) - Col. 2:14
57. The Gift of God’s incorruptible seed - I Pet. 1:23
58. The Gift of permanent citizenship in heaven Phil. 3:20
59. The Gift of the unconditional covenant of grace through faith - Tit. 1:1-2
60. The Gift of sharing in Christ’s eternal destiny Eph. 1:5, 11
61. The Gift of birth into the family of God - Eph. 2:19
62. The Gift of a new eternal nature - II Cor. 5:17
63. The Gift of no long being in Adam - John 14:20
64. The Gift of being Christ’s sheep - John 10:28-29
65. The Gift of Christ paying for our sins - John 1:29
66. The Gift of positional Sanctification even for the worst of us - 1 Cor 6:11
67. The Gift of being rescued from the dominion of darkness - Col. 1:13
68. The Gift of God’s foreknowledge - Rom. 8:29
69. The Gift of being a gift to Christ from God - John 17:6, 11-12
70. The Gift of being the objects of His consolation - II Thess. 2:16
71. The Gift of an eternal mansion prepared for us - John 14:1-3
72. The Gift of a glorified body (like that of Christ) - Rom. 8:29
73. The Gift of eternal redemption - Heb. 9:12
74. The Gift of possessing Christ’s image - I Cor. 15:49
75. The Gift of preservation - II Tim. 4:18
76. The Gift of peace with God - Col. 1:20
77. The Gift of Christ as the Captain of our salvation - Heb. 2:9
78. The Gift of God’s exceeding riches of grace - Eph. 1:6
79. The Gift of God’s unchanging mind - Rom. 11:29
80. The Gift of remaining under grace - Rom. 6:14
81. The Gift of being born of the Spirit - John 3:6 & John 1:13
82. The Gift of Christ’s promises to never leave us or forsake us - Heb 13:5
83. The Gift of Christ as our federal head (the head and its members can’t be lost) - Rom. 5:19
84. The Gift of God’s effectual call - Rom. 11:29 & II Tim. 1:9
85. The Gift of divine discipline (He does not allow us to continue in sin) - I Cor. 11:31-32
86. The Gift of the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our Salvation - Eph. 1:14
87. The Gift of freedom from the flesh - Rom 8:9
88. The Gift of the Holy Spirit’s intercession - Rom. 8:26
89. The Gift of blessings with every spiritual blessing - Eph. 1:3
90. The Gift of God’s testimony - I John 5:9-13
91. The Gift of God’s unconditional impersonal love while we were still sinners - Rom 5:8-10
92. The Gift of a never perishing life - John 10:28-29
93. The Gift of deliverance - II Tim. 4:18
94. The Gift of the glory that will be revealed in all believers - Rom 8:18
95. The Gift of God’s veracity - Tit. 1:2
96. The Gift of partnership with Christ in service - I Cor. 1:9
97. The Gift of access to God - Tit. 2:14
98. The Gift of being heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ - Rom 8:17
99. The Gift of God being able to do what He promised - Eph. 1:19-23
100. The Gift of God’s sovereignty - Rom. 9:15-23
101. The Gift of God’s goodness - I John 4:8
102. The Gift of Christ’s propitiation of God - Rom. 3:25
103. The Gift of the Greek aorist tense of “saved,” which means once and for all - Acts 16:31

3 Fundamentals of "Successful" Ministry

In 2001, I co-pastored a Church that lost roughly half its congregation within a couple months. Those who left were up-front and honest: “The Sunday sermons make us feel like we’re in school. What happened to the ‘old style’ of teaching? This is boring. Where is our ‘old Pastor’?”

What happened was that the “Old Pastor” had changed his style from “Topical Preaching” (jumping from several topics throughout Scripture) to “Expository Teaching” (explaining a book from start to finish) and the difference was noticeable. The “Old Pastor” was gone; that is, no more topical messages every week that catered to the latest needs. The expository messages were still practical - it’s just that the needs of the people did not dictate the message for the up and coming sermon (as it did before). Rather, it was the Scripture that set the agenda from week to week.

In seminary, I was strongly discouraged to teach topical messages mainly because of its impracticality for pastors (very difficult to prepare week by week) and its tendency to cater to what people want to hear as opposed to what they need to hear. We’ll return to this in a minute…

With that said, I’d like to take a moment to share my philosophy of ministry. I know this will be refreshing to those wanting to know the method behind the madness. The principles below are what I learned in Seminary from my professor, Pastor Joe Hellerman. He taught his students three “principles to live by” and two “extremes try to avoid” in the teaching ministry.

Principle #1 (Build up) — We come to church to meet with God, so the Bible must remain central to what we do in our Sunday service. We come to be built up in God’s Word. After all, God’s Word is our only trustworthy source of information about God and His ways of dealing with us. So, if church is all about God, then church had better be all about the Bible.

Principle #2 (Equip) — It is not enough for believers to come and receive Bible truth from the teacher on Sunday morning. As your Pastor-teacher, I must also equip you to feel increasingly comfortable with the Bible yourselves, so that you can read and study God’s Word on your own during the week. You are being trained to make this connection.

Principle #3 (Train) — Your Pastor-teacher must connect the eternal truths of God’s Word with the daily circumstances and needs of your lives, and I should do so in such a way that everyone—skeptical seeker or seasoned saint—has something to take home and think about or work on during the week.

As you might imagine, remaining consistently and equally faithful to all these principles on any given Sunday is an almost impossible task! But we do the best we can with the time we have and, in the process, we try to avoid two extremes, each of which would compromise one or more of the principles outlined above:

Extreme #1 — Focus too much on where WE are at.
People generally find topical preaching (addressed directly to felt needs) very attractive. But there are some pitfalls associated with preaching topical sermons every week. The first problem is that a person can attend church for several years, hearing sermon after sermon dealing with themes like Success on the Job, Having a Healthy Marriage, and Finding Fulfillment in Life, and never gain the kind of familiarity with the Bible that would encourage him to study God’s Word on his own! The Bible remains a foreign book full of tidbits of Godly wisdom which only the ‘paid professional’ (the pastor) can discover and deliver, as he prepares and preaches his messages each week. The second pitfall of a topical approach is less obvious. But it may be even more serious. Preaching that is intentionally preoccupied with our felt-needs tends to start with us and end with God. This kind of “teaching trajectory,” in turn, subtly but effectively communicates a whole worldview—one that is diametrically opposed to Scripture. It says: We are at the center of the universe, and God is here primarily to meet our needs and to fulfill our agenda. Well, this is the just kind of thinking we want to avoid here at F.A.B. Chapel, not the kind of thinking we want to subliminally reinforce by the way we craft our sermons!

Extreme #2 — Focus too much on where the BIBLE is at.
At some point in our preaching we have to get out of the first century (or the eleventh century B.C., in the case of Samuel and David!) and into the twenty-first. This means that Sunday morning will always be a worship service and never become just a classroom. Don’t misunderstand. The hope you learn something on Sunday. But we do not want our preaching to impart only information. We want you to meet your Lord in the Biblical text and come away with hope and direction for your life. So we try to be practical and relevant.

Putting It All Together
Now how do these Principles and Extremes flesh out in the way we do our Sunday sermons? Well, they make things pretty simple. In an effort to be faithful to Principle #3, I have been going through topical sermons (i.e. How to Have Eternal Life, How to have Fellowship with Jesus, etc.). But in every case, we have done our best to keep God at the center, where He belongs. Ideally, I’d like to have Chapel services where we can preach right through a book of the Bible (Principle #1). Our recent pattern has found us covering the Basic fundamental doctrines that I believe every believer should know (i.e. Doctrine of Salvation, Doctrine of Rebound, and how to study the Bible).

Our goal is that we all become familiar enough with the text to go home, read the book with understanding, and make it our own—for the rest of our lives! If we keep hanging out together in Bible studies and Sunday services just think of how much of the Bible we will know! We will be doing a subject/complement on the dinner menu at Denny’s!

The Goal: For Chapel members to have access to the Word of God and to find hope and direction for life on a daily basis (Principle #2).

So, you might not get what you WANT every week at Chapel: something that scratches your felt-needs right where they itch. But I promise to do my best to give you what you NEED: a BIG-picture exposure to God and His Word that gives you a basic biblical foundation for a lifetime of study. Because the Christian life is not a 100-yard dash—it’s a marathon. Most of all, I strongly believe that the study of God’s Word is the HIGHEST form of Worship - Everything else follows.

You’re part? (1) Be there consistently, to get the whole flow of the Bible book/Doctrine, (2) Be there attentively, to actively think and reflect on what is being said, and (3) Be there openly, to let God have His way with you on Sunday mornings! God will be honored and we’ll all be better for it!

Open The Door of Fellowship For Jesus (Revelation 3:14-22)

Revelation 3:14-22

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot
I wish you were either one or the other!
16 So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’
But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich;
and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;
and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.
So be earnest, and repent.

20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in (Gk. Pros- towards) and eat with him, and he with me.21 To him who overcomes (Gk. Nikao- to conquer)
I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,
just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
EXEGETICAL IDEA (what it meant):

Subject: What is Jesus’ warning, advice and encouragement to the Church in Laodicea concerning their works and their lukewarmness?
Complement: Jesus warns the Church in Laodicea that because of their lukewarmness he is about to spit them out of his mouth. He advises them to buy gold, white clothes and eyesalve, to be earnest and repent, to hear his voice and open the door for him. Lastly, he encourages them to be overcomers so that they can sit with him on his throne just as he did with the Father.

CONTEMPORARY IDEA (what it means):
Subject: How does the Word warn, advise and encourage believers in the Church (age) concerning their works and the state of uselessness?
Complement: The Word warns members of the Church that lukewarmness precedes divine discipline and a loss of fellowship with Jesus, but also advises believers to restore fellowship no matter what the cost, to be earnest and repentant, to hear Jesus’ voice and open the door of fellowship. Lastly, the Word encourages the Church to be overcomers so that they can sit with Jesus on his throne just as he did with the Father.
Bumper Sticker Idea: Don’t Be LukeWarm, Be Cool and Be Hot for Jesus.

Doctrinal Category: Doctrine of Fellowship








Exegetical Outline (What it Meant)
I. John reveals the Warning of Jesus to the Church in Laodicea (3:14-17)
A. Jesus tells the Laodiceans that he knows their works and that they are neither hot nor cold.
B. Jesus tells the Laodiceans that he wishes they were either hot or cold.
C. Jesus warns the Laodiceans that because of their lukewarmness, he is about to spit them out of his mouth.
(1) Jesus exposes the arrogance and self-confidence of the Laodiceans.
(2) Jesus reveals the true state of the Ladodiceans.
1. Jesus exposes that the Laodiceans are wretched.
2. Jesus exposes that the Laodiceans are pitiful.
3. Jesus exposes that the Laodiceans are blind.
4. Jesus exposes that the Laodiceans are naked.

II. Jesus exhorts the Laodiceans to restoration through him (3:18-20)
A. Jesus counsels the Laodiceans to three specific areas of restoration.
1. Jesus counsels the Laodiceans to buy refined gold so they can become rich.
2. Jesus counsels the Laodiceans to buy white clothes so that they can cover their shameful nakedness.
3. Jesus counsels the Laodiceans to buy eye salve so they can see.
B. Jesus warns the Laodiceans of divine discipline.
C. Jesus offers fellowship to the Laodiceans.

III. Jesus encourages the Laodiceans to be overcomers in order that they might sit with Jesus on his throne (3:21-22)
A. Jesus promises the right to sit with him on his throne to the Laodiceans who overcome.
B. Jesus tells the Laodiceans that they will sit down with him just as he did with the Father.
C. John extends his three-fold exhortation to the Laodiceans to all who can hear.

Homiletical Outline (What it Means)
I. The Word reveals the warning of Jesus to a Church out of fellowship.
A. The Word reveals the value of the works of those who are out of fellowship.
B. The Word reveals that God desires believers to be useful.
C. The Word warns believers of divine discipline to those who are useless.

II. The Word exhorts all believers to restoration through Christ.
A. The Word offers restoration that covers all aspects.
B. The Word warns believers of divine discipline.
C. Jesus offers fellowship to the believer.

III. The Word encourages believers to overcome in order that they reap eternal rewards.
A. The Word promises the right to sit with Jesus on his throne if they overcome.
B. The Word promises right to sit with Jesus on his throne just as he did with the Father.
C. The Word extends this three-fold exhortation to believers in the Church age.

Do I Have to Ask Jesus into My Heart to Be Saved?

Most of us who grew up in the Church have heard the message of salvation pitched like this, "All you have to do is ask Jesus into your heart and you will be saved." Let's get one thing straight, God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful) and He knows when a person is placing their faith in Him. And if anybody said, "I ask Jesus to come into my heart" He would know whether or not the person was expressing their faith in Him. That is to say, people can be "saved" (i.e. Go to heaven when the die) if they said these words.

We must ask ourselves a question: If the Bible does not teach Children or people in general to, "Ask Jesus into their heart" why do we hold to it so strongly? I was one who "asked Jesus to come into my heart." I am not saying people cannot be "saved" by saying, "Jesus I ask you to come into my heart." All I am trying to point out is the tendency that we Christians have in holding firmly to some teaching that we have learned having never though of whether or not it is validated with Scripture. We do this all of the time and when questioned, notice how defensive we become.

I'll never forget my friend, Bret Turecek, who questioned me when I was throwing out Christianese terminology and phrases (i.e. Holy, righteous, praise the Lord Brother, Hallelujah amen, sanctified...). Bret asked me, "What does that mean?" I had no answer for him, I had just become accostomed to using those words because it's what we used in the Church. I had never thought of what they meant according to the Scriptures. Feeling embarassed, I became defensive and mad at Bret. After that embarassing lesson, I made it a point to study a passage or scriture before I used it in conversation. I began to realize how much I didn't know. I also realized how many verses I had been pulling out of context. Shame on me.

Looking back, I thank Bret every chance I get for the wake up call he gave me years ago. Christians ought to be diligently and objectively stud the Scriptures. We should not be afraid to tell people, "I dont' know what that Scripture means, but i'll get back to you when i've studied it."

Question: Rather than holding ignorantly to some teaching, why not stick to a clear passage or scripture from the Bible? Are we afraid to let the text speak for itself?

In closing, if believers and Christians alike want to share the the "J.O.E.L." (Jesus' Offer of Eternal Life) then they a ton of verses to share. I'll share just one of many.

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:16-18).