JESUS: GOD’S GIFT TO THE WORLD
Bishop Craig L. Oliver, Sr.
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” - Luke 1:78-79
I want to talk today about this simple thought and theme:
Jesus: God's gift to the world.
I'm not going to tell you the usual, traditional message about the birth of Jesus. Instead, today, I invite you to join me as we dig deeper into the story as it is told in the Bible.
CONTENTMENT IS THE CURE FOR THANKLESSNESS
Bishop Craig L. Oliver, Sr.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” - 1 Timothy 6:6-7
Today, I want to talk about contentment and how it is the cure for thanklessness.
If we were to poll most adults about the things they want in life, contentment is often near the top of the list. But most people need to figure out where to look for it. So instead, they settle for satisfaction from things that can't truly provide it.
What makes an unhindered offering that honors God?
If we want to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with our time, talents, and money, John 12 gives us a Biblical basis for this kind of gift. A few days before Jesus went to Calvary, He stayed at a private home in Bethany with His disciples and His friend, Lazarus. Many still go to Bethany, a small village on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. Now, Mary comes in with a gift for Jesus. She gets down on her knees in front of His feet, breaks the alabaster jar open, and pours the oil on His feet. She even wipes His feet clean with her hair. Tension fills the room, and the air smells of the perfume. Judas was quick to scold Jesus for not scolding her, but the Lord saw the gift as a way to honor Him, so He blessed both the gift and Mary.
Mary's gift was given to Christ and honored God. John 12:1–7 shows us four parts of a God-honoring offering.
PROVERBS 3: GUIDELINES FOR GIVING
Bishop Craig L. Oliver, Sr.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” - Proverbs 3:9-10
While I was in the basement during the pandemic, I was wrestling with God about what life would be like in the next 30, 60, 90, and 120 days and how we would emerge as a new church. God spoke to me so clearly that we need to be a church that does much more than just preaching, teaching, and shouting on Sundays, but a church that makes an impact in the community—that we can't just be a church that has a nice, beautiful barrel of love during Thanksgiving, and people can't eat just that the rest of the year.
HOW TO STAY FAITHFUL UNDER PRESSURE
“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” - Hebrews 10:39
In the book of Hebrews, the writer is speaking to Jewish Christians who, at this time, were enduring an intense amount of pressure and persecution because of their faith. The persecution was so intense that they wanted to abandon their Christian faith altogether.
