The Best Gift Ever

I came to tell you in the midst of the feelings of trait that undergirds that Christmas is really about Christ. You can even say the word without talking about Christ. It is Christmas. It is Christ mass. It is because Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins that we have the right to be saved. For God so loved the world that he gave low and welcome to this Christmas eve addition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont California.

Thanks for spending part of the special day here with us you know God is a giving God. He gives us life gives us joy when sin entered the world he gave us himself so that his money is believe in him will not perish, find everlasting today.

Pastor Paul talks about with the Christmas season means to him tells us about the best gift God ever gave visit Pastor Paul.net or any recent Destin for victory message on demand. That's Pastor Paul.net you can also subscribe to or download the podcast at stitcher, whatever you enjoy your podcast now is Pastor Paul in today's Destin for victory message. The best gift ever.

John's gospel chapter 3 let's read verses 16 through 18 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him that is in Jesus is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God this Christmas season I decided to not preach one of the classic passages that tell us about the birth of Christ are all wonderful and over the decades of my pastoral preaching.

I've certainly covered many of them in doing advanced messages this year. I thought you know what I don't need a classic admin passage to talk about the fact that Jesus came to earth and was in fact born in a manger, of all places. He was born in an inconspicuous place. He was born in a less than ideal situation.

He was born into a world troubled and full of sin and strife into the world. Jesus came because of what were going to discuss because he came to be and to give the best gift ever. And that's what I decided to entitled this message.

The best gift ever.

Nothing like getting a good gift, especially at Christmas time. I love this time of year for so many of its trapping so many of the things that make you feel good at Christmas time. Looks like even mean people get a little nice at Christmas time. Have you ever noticed that something that usually can take a risk will stop long enough to kinda get a little cheerful, as long double as long but I came to tell you in the midst of the of the feelings of it, there is a truth that undergirds it that Christmas is really about Christ. You can't even say the word without talking about Christ is Christmas.

It is Christ mass. It is because Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins that we have the right to be saved in the be redeemable to talk you through that in this message but you have every right to enjoy yourself during Christmas season. Now that a lot of people who don't like the trappings there. I know a lot of religious folk who who are against Christmas trees in their gains. So many of the trappings and importantly some Christians are more known for what they were against and what, therefore, have you ever met. The type you know clearly what they stand against their whole churches all denominations that will pre-total during the admin season will spend all their time preaching that if you got a Christmas tree you will all got candy canes in your house, your all and all that that your milk tire to some pagan celebration of centuries ago and all that I know I have to love everybody. So I love them but I still don't want to be with him the kind of people were just frustrated about things is no point get frustrated about the Christmas tree can easily be repurposed in your mind. If you think it comes from another place. I don't even think Christmas trees and such come from a negative place, but if you look did some research and you found some pagan group and they and they use trees wrongly and him and away and so you're against a tree.

Okay I get it I can repurpose it because it Jesus hung on a tray for my sin.

The word came from a tree on Saturday because of a tree. On the cross because of a tree troubled by the tree but if you troubled by the tree.

Then look up here on the stage. Hallelujah, because the trees will give you troubled by candy canes.

Bless your heart. The nice red and white candy canes I love them a deep breath about a taste good. And then secondly you got a red and white stands for the blood far as I'm concerned please is in the way of Christ.

Who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

I don't send me any emails this week.

If you come from that we shall not celebrate tradition. Don't send me any. I'm not reading it soon as I see is about you and tree or the cane, put it in the trash hallelujah I'll need you and your screws.

Let's disagree right now to disagree you don't believe in it you don't like the pastor Paul believes in okay where there God bless you, but I can celebrate I love the trappings of the sixth of the season. I know some bouquet must become so commercial we taken Jesus out okay. I'm not taken Jesus out I'm celebrating because of Jesus, and I can enjoy shopping and all that in its right moderation course where the season alive. My wife and I started several years ago saying we only given to each other Christmas we give each other all year long.

We know we love each other all year long. I'm not trying to prove my love in December, will somebody that way I will try to talk your spouse into it. I'm not saying all you do that. I'm just saying. As for me and my marriage we don't give to each other. We give each other because I tell my kids now listen don't give me anything but a nice card because that way I get to hear the sentiments of your heart a nice card you put a little personal note in their desktops Christmas present that works for me and in what we do is find one or more families that are in need or facing a challenge and we get what we would get to each other we give to bless one or more families every year we go and I mean we will come up good. I do my little trinket pastor and first lady said we want to bless you this year we come in with. That's how I will because I don't have trinkets unassuming all the trinket people.

God bless you your trinket person.

I'm not going to your trinket don't just don't give them the me that's all I'm saying. Don't get me tree just because I'm not about trinkets. I know some people say you need to learn that it's about the what, what's in somebody's heart okay because you have love in your heart for the past okay I get that. Practically, I'm looking at the trinket said okay this comes from your heart and the role as a brother, so since I get myself what I want because I know I have expensive taste and I know what I want, no need of pledging you with the responsibility of doing that. If you determine the bless me at least do a little research to find out from a life with somebody nice there something in the really good you and come correct is all I'm saying. Stay with us the second half of pastor Paul Shepard's message is coming right up.

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We always wanted. Other times we get a gift. We really need in Jesus Christ we get this pastor Paul with the rest of the base destined for victory message. The best gift ever time a year. I love all the trappings and what have you and is a really really important thing and I can think of some of my favorite Christmas as I can think back to childhood and probably many of you can as well. You think of some of your favorite Christmas is somewhere in your past. What was childhood or to a teenager or an adult knowing of the days when we would wake up real early on Christmas morning because we were young and kids, and excited.

We understand the joy of sleep. Back in those days don't remember when you didn't know how wonderful it is to sleep. Sleep was a nuisance Christmas what you want to get up as early as possible. I member running in my parents room earliest possible. And you wondered why so slow they still turn it over. I will be there. There even as an adult I remember the Christmas of 1981 because that was the day I propose to my wife.

Christmas 1981, I said Merry Christmas handed her a box with a diamond that I had been working hard I was working two jobs, two jobs back then and and I would take one of the checks from one of my one of my jobs and that we went in the bank was my living expenses in the bank went that other one for quite a while to I could save up even the first time and I bought her I wanted to bless her a real good one has in his son is.

I'm sorry brothers about making the tough on y'all but I'm just saying that was my story. That was my soul. I want to know and so I went got her this gorgeous starter diamond starter because it has been upgraded over the years.

Hallelujah. But I*even when I started with one ask you when you get a chance. He came right from the job from the beginning.

But anyway, it was joyous to see and that was no doubt heard favorite Christmas of all of her life and that's a fact. But I'm the one preaching so I'm just going but best gift ever was given on the best Christmas ever was the best Christmas because it was the first Christmas. It was when Jesus Christ was born and on that day we got a gift that is clearly the best ever. Why is the first Christmas day that they will receive the best gift ever. For reasons and I'll let you go number one because on that day we received any central gift we received any central gift notice.

I will text totals for God so loved the world that he gave God is a giver best given stuff started with God himself. He gave us an essential gift.

Why is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The essential gift. It is essential gift because it is the gift we all desperately needed and could not do without. I needed understand you are listening to this message because my ministry is about preaching the gospel. What is the gospel.

It is that when we couldn't help ourselves. God gave us the essential gift of salvation. Romans 323 helps us understand why it's essential. Romans 323 says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All of us have sinned, why is it essential because almost needed to be saved and none of us had the ability to save ourselves. We all sin. Please understand we are sinners on two levels. We are sinners first by nature. That is where born in sin according to the word of God were born in sin shaped in iniquity when you came into this. Are you already alienated from God.

Paul said in Ephesians 2, you have to be made alive were dead in trespasses and sins believes that you were there to meet you because when you got to the planet you came from God, Ukraine with no relationship with God, and you came with no capacity to have a relationship with God. Apart from this essential gift God saw all of us knew that we were sent sinners by nature, you don't have to start sending the Beale center.

You are a sinner and then as you grow up you figure out what sins you want to really practice you start out a sinner that little cute baby or holding grandbaby. Whatever it is when you say hello, and for God that infant needs be essential gift of salvation. Why because they were born in sin all sin.

We were all stamped with the stamp of the Adamic nature. We call them theology.

The Adamic nature, that means a nature that came from our forefather Adam born in sin shape and in iniquity. David said M & my eye was conceived in my mother's womb doesn't mean the act that produce conception will send it simply means the child that comes from that conception is already alienated from God and so that's why Paul says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Listen to what he says in Romans five verses six and beyond. He says for when we were still without strength into time Christ died for the ungodly.

I love that language, we were without strength. When we figure out we needed to to be saved. We did know how to save ourselves. And so when we were without strength you sometimes you can know you have a problem and don't have the strength to do anything about it and he says that's the case for all of us who were born in sin, we were without strength to change it, but in due time Christ died for the ungodly folks scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone might even dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us so please understand that God knew our problem before we know our problem.

That's why the Bible calls Jesus the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God knew that we were going to fall into sin already had the remedy and in being a giver. He gave his only son, and so the best ever gift was given on the first Christmas day because in Jesus birth we received the essential gift, our Savior came into the world. Not only is it an essential gift number two.

It is an expensive gift. It is an expensive gift. The fact of the matter is the text John 316 says for God so loved the world that he gave what he gave the most expensive gift he could give his already begotten son. What did it take to save you and me. It took his only begotten son. Why is that what we needed because his only son was the only one who could save us.

If you read through redemptive history. Anybody else needed salvation just like you needed salvation. When you read your Old Testament. Don't think you're seeing folks who live better than you and your Bible from cover to cover is full of folk just like you and me were jacked up ham jacked up before Abraham no jacked before Noah came enable jacked up before their parents, Adam and Eve Jack just when you read your Bible quit looking for perfect people name is Jesus came because all the folk you may jacked up we call them patriarchs and and all that and because of grace.

One day you will see them in heaven. But when you said you see somebody who lived better than you thought call in the father of the faithful. But if you're not Calling some other things.

When you read about them in the Bible about Abraham, he calls his wife was fine. Sarah was a bad sister you know what if I tell these people where when traveling he could now he's trying to obey God.

God said, send it to a place that I show you and so he's on the journey trying to obey God but him on the journey he came to a place where he said the folk notice of my wife and she so fine, they'll kill me and take my life essential telling you my sister – your father of the faithful and historic God brought a man even though he acted out like that. I'm sure glad to know God look to be fault and he saw and he gave us the gift of his only begotten son, everybody. I don't have time to walk you through.

But when you read your Bible jacked up person after jacked up person. The only difference is the estimate jacked up what were looking for to the cross and we New Testament jacked up to the cross, but it is cross out the cross so hard the way it was the faith I received my sight. Now I'm happy all day. God is a good God because he was willing to give us an expensive gift.

Romans five and seven says that the father gave his only son and the son. Then in turn gave his life the gift of Jesus was both essential and expensive.

But the good news of the gospel is this God himself paid the price for that gift so that we wouldn't have to. Thanks so much for being here for today's destined for victory message. The best gift ever. You know our highest calling as believers in Christ is to share our faith with others. We can do that through personal relationships through conversations at work or in an airplane but another great way to help fulfill the great commission is by becoming one of our destined for victory partners, a group of people who give at least $20 a month to help Pastor Paul advance the gospel all over the world.

Your donations really do make a difference. So please prayerfully consider becoming a partner today and when you do will send you if you think you gifts including one of Pastor Paul's most popular CDs. The best of let my people smile, call 855-339-5500 to find out more about how to become a destined for victory partner and make your pledge over the phone or mail your gift to destined for victory, letting us know you wish to become a partner or address PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also become a partner for my website.

Pastor Paul.net know if you can't become a destined for victory partner but can make your best year in gift now would love to send you Pastor Paul shepherds DVD message refocus a sermon in which he offers three guidelines to help us work through the challenges were facing here in 2020 and encourages us to continue fulfilling God's purpose in our lives.

Again that's Pastor Paul's DVD message refocus is our gift to you by request your most generous gift destined for victory this month. People chose cell but I think people say that is that the condition isn't that show what that shows you know you really need what I have and you're willing to let me blast you by grace. That's tomorrow. Would Pastor Paul shepherds message.

The best gift ever. Until then, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory