________________________________________________________________________

For good or for bad, the holidays have certainly turned into a season for giving. After they take down the Fourth of July merchandise, the stores immediately begin to put up Christmas decorations. My wife and I spend Thanksgiving with my in-laws every year and Christmas with my family, so we exchange gifts with my in-laws in November. As the family has grown, it takes quite a bit of work to come up with a moderately-priced, unique gift for every person. It always seems that there is at least one person on your list that is a "hard-to-buy for" person. There's always someone who has everything, doesn't need anything, and for whom you need new ideas.

If you have the money, I have some gift suggestions for you. The Neiman-Marcus catalog every year puts out it's annual holiday catalog and always includes crazily expensive gifts sure to please that hard-to-buy for person. In past years, the gifts have ranged from a Hummer (army SUV) completely outfitted and personalized in the color and style of the person receiving it for only a little under $100,000 to a solid gold Rubik's Cube that actually works with real jewels such as rubies, sapphires, and diamonds set into each face for the colors. I do not remember the original price, but one recently sold for a quarter of a million dollars. (Somebody is going to have a wild surprise when they open their gift) This year's gifts for the discriminating shopper include a set or Andy Warhol paintings for only $500,000; that comes with free shipping!

You are probably already stressed out about how you are going to buy for everybody on your list already, and the easy thing is just to throw your hands up and say, "it really doesn't matter what I give them." Just for fun, let me add to your stress by pointing out a couple of proverbs:

We misquote this scripture and make it apply to someone's talent or spiritual gift opening doors for them. But that is not what the scripture means. The Hebrew Word for "gift" refers to a thoughtfully chosen item that is given as a freewill offering to someone else. What the scripture is saying is that if you choose your gift well, it will endear that person to you and cause them to appreciate you more. If you choose your gift poorly, it will not cause that person to be drawn to you. And as if you didn't have enough stress this holiday season.

In other words, nothing kills the expectations and hopes of man and God like someone who promises to give something and does not. Gifts are obviously a big deal to God for Him to give guidelines and helpful pointers in His Word. The Old Testament, many times refers to something given to God as a "gift," and Jesus, Himself, taught on the proper way to give a "gift" to God in that we are not to bring it with unforgiveness in our heart toward someone else.

________________________________________________________________________

Now I want you to think about that statement: "Giving God a Gift." Talk about somebody "hard-to-buy for!" What do you get for someone who fills the universe? What would someone who uses the earth as a footstool appreciate? What can you possibly give the Creator who made all things with His spoken Word?

Those questions are one of the reasons that I love the story of the wise men coming to Jesus so much. Every year around Christmas time, you will find that I tend to preach about something about the wise men. Those few verses in Matthew chapter 2 contain so much to be learned and I love the lessons that can be learned from studying this humble event in Jesus' life. I know that they probably were not present on the night of Jesus' birth but probably arrived later because when they visited, Mary and Joseph were in a "house" and not a stable. I know that there was probably more than three because people tended to travel in large groups back then and the scriptures only says that the brought three different gifts. In studying I've learned that the only scripture that foretold that there would be a star present at the birth of Jesus Christ was given by the false prophet Balaam who only at times was used by God. I've preached that they were "wise men" because they were able to understand the scriptures and were able to tell the difference between Balaam's false prophecies and the true unction of God.

I've also learned that the wise men probably had Daniel's prophecies that exactly pinpointed how many years it would be before the Messiah came and how that they used those prophecies to realize when they should be looking for a star. Can you imagine their excitement building as they counted down the years and finally after years of preparation, and after many wonderings if they were really correct in their interpretation, suddenly at the correct time that they thought it would, a new brighter star appeared directing them to the Messiah! I do not think that the wise men were caught by surprise by the star appearing, but I think that they had spent many years in preparing to leave on this journey IF the star appeared like they thought.

The sad thing about all of this is that the Pharisees and Jewish people already knew when Herod asked, where the child was to be born and from which lineage. Yet they were not looking for the scriptures to come to pass. God rewarded and responded not to those who had the religious pedigrees, but to those who were preparing for God's Word to come true! We who are alive today had better learn the lesson well, because that was the first time that Jesus was to come to earth, but Jesus is coming again! Most people, like the Pharisees have heard that Jesus is coming, and you may even know that when and where in that He is going to appear in the eastern skies at the last trumpet. But just knowing that He is supposed to come is not enough! Are you expectantly watching for it? Are you preparing for the journey in case it happens this year? Jesus is coming again, will you be ready to meet Him?

I'm sure that there were many people who stopped by the home of Joseph and Mary and presented their regards and gifts of all kinds. I'm sure that there were relatives who heard that Mary "had her baby" and rummaged around in the closet or quickly went to the market to get them something because "you know, they gave us a gift when we had junior." It was their first baby, and no doubt many people brought tokens of celebration. But of ALL THE GIFTS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO JESUS, only THE WISE MEN ARE THE ONES WHO BROUGHT GIFTS THAT WERE WORTHY ENOUGH TO BE RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE!

Colossians 1:16-17 tells us that Jesus Christ made all things that are visible and all things that are not visible. It says that He created everything! John 1:10 says that "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not." Everyone that brought their gifts, probably including the wise men, didn't realize that they were bringing the very creator of the universe a gift. They probably did not realize when they heard the baby's cry that they were listening to the voice that spoke the world into existence. How could they have possibly known that the infant was God in flesh, come to die for their sins? If the other people had known, they would have put more thought into their gifts. The offering would not have been chosen so hastily! But the wise men had already put some thoughts into their gifts. They had prepared their gifts carefully. What do you give the creator of the universe as a gift? Learn from the wise men, because of all the visitors to Jesus, they got it right!

I know, I know: you are thinking "Gold, frankincense, and myrrh?" What's so special about that? We tend to notice their differences rather than the similarities. Gold is a precious metal, and frankincense and myrrh are rare perfumed resins produced from the sap of trees. I want you to realize, that all three are things created by God that were the most precious to men because of their scarcity. WHAT DO YOU GIVE THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE? WHAT KIND OF GIFT IS ACCEPTABLE AND PLEASING TO GOD? WHEN YOU TAKE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THAT HE HAS CREATED AND GIVEN TO YOU, AND GIVE IT BACK!

The gift that pleases God the most is when you willingly give Him back His most precious creation that was given to you. It really is that simple. It is the greatest gift that you can give God. Some people have invented various religions and rituals in order to try to please God, but God is not interested in man-made gifts. Some people try through energy and work to "earn" their way into God's blessing, but God is not interested in man-made gifts. He is foremost interested in whether or not you are willing to give Him back what He has created and given to you.

________________________________________________________________________

This concept isn't new. Adam was created by God and placed in dominion over the world. This world was created and given to Adam to have and rule. All the animals were under Adam, and he named them and was given dominion over them. All of the trees and fruits except for one, was given to Adam for him to freely possess and eat. The reason that God did not want them to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was that it was a standing sacrifice unto God. Adam certainly had the ability to eat from the tree, but it was the one thing that God had created and given to man that Adam was giving back to the creator by not eating it himself. Genesis chapter 1 states that all trees were given to Adam, so by Adam not eating of the one tree, He was given God the greatest gift that he could: he was taken what had been created and given to him and was giving that willingly back to God.

When he chose to take that gift for himself and ate of the fruit, it ruined the relationship with God. Adam's gift had to that point made for a good relationship with God Almighty, but that was destroyed by him selfishly taking the gift back. Why did God then kill an animal to clothe Adam and Eve and make a commandment that it would take a blood sacrifice to please Him? Because the only thing that would restore man's relationship with God was to take something that He had created and given to man and give it back to God. That animal sacrifice was now an acceptable gift for the creator!

When Abel and Cain offered up their sacrifices to God, Abel offered up a lamb and his gift was accepted, but Cain brought fruit and God rejected it. I looked it up this week, the word in the Hebrew for the "fruit" that Cain brought is periy and is the same word used for the forbidden "fruit" that Adam and Eve sinned by eating. Why did God reject Cain's gift? Because he was trying to offer up the same sacrifice that Adam and Eve had taken back, and God said "no longer will that sacrifice be acceptable. The proper gift for the creator is something precious that I have given to you, that you will willingly give back to me." When Adam and Eve selfishly took back their gift, it ended that gift as being acceptable to God!

Allow me to preach to you for just a little while. Are you trying to base your relationship with God on what you gave to God last year? That will only work, if what you gave Him last year is still His and has not been selfishly yanked back out of His hands. I've known people to come and give God their marriages or their family troubles and say "God, I give it to you, we want your will in our home." And when things begin to get a little better, they take back their gift and take matters in their own hands again. God doesn't like someone who gives false gifts. Who says they are going to give and never does:

He said you are like a cloud that never rains! If you wonder why your spiritual life is dry, then ask yourselves have I given it to God and left it as a gift with Him? Or have I taken control and doing things my way? Nothing causes a spiritual drought like promising to give God something in your life and never bothering, or yanking it back after giving! If you want the constant rain of the Holy Ghost in your life, you've got to be willing to give Him your gift and allow Him to keep it!

________________________________________________________________________

Cain tried to give God a gift that man had given and then taken back. When it was time for animal sacrifice, God would not accept fruit. But can I tell you, that the little baby born to Mary, grew up to go to a cross on Calvary and die for our sins. God who became MAN took away the blood sacrifice and fulfilled it forever so that now God does not want a blood sacrifice either. If you were to go kill some animal to be the gift that improves your relationship with God, He would not accept the sacrifice. It's like Cain offering up fruit. The man Christ Jesus has forever taken away blood sacrifice.

So if I must give the creator something precious that He gave to me, and fruit is out and blood sacrifice is out, then what do I have to give that would be acceptable? What is the acceptable gift now? Let me quote what the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome:

The most precious created thing that you possess is YOU! It's your life! You did not create your life, it was given to you as a gift from God. It was not you or some miracle of evolution that caused you to be born in your mother's womb and come forth from the birth chamber and breathe your first breath! You haven't even been thinking about the breaths that you have been taken while listening to this sermon today, but God has been keeping you alive. And it is the most precious thing that you have. The greatest gift that you can give to God is YOU. He created you and when you willingly give it back to Him you have given the only present that is worthy to give to the Creator of the Universe. The fruit and the blood sacrifices were only to show us that God wants a gift. Those things are no longer acceptable.

Paul told them to "present your bodies." And that it would be ACCEPTABLE! By doing so you prove that which is "good, and acceptable and perfect will of God." The only gift that is acceptable to the Great Creator is the gift of your life! That is why He led by example by coming as a man and giving His life. He gave the greatest gift that He could have given and at the same time showed us how to give back to Him! He wants your life, and the proper way to offer the gift is through a Death, Burial, and a Resurrection. Turn with me to the following scripture and read along:

Did you catch that? When you are baptized in Jesus' name, you are "buried with him!" If you have never been baptized in water in the name of Jesus' name, then you have not completely given your life as a gift to God! You have not followed His example of burial. Is water baptism in Jesus' name a big deal? It is to God! By taking on His name in baptism, you are offering your life as a sacrifice to Him! But you can't bury someone unless they have died and that is why Peter said in Acts:

First you must Repent. When you ask to God to forgive your sins and ask Him to bring about a change in your life and lifestyle, then you are dying to your fleshly ways. But don't stop there, you must be buried with Him in baptism! And Peter went on and said "ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Jesus didn't stay in the grave, but was resurrected. The only acceptable gift for the Creator is your life, and you give your life to Him by following His example of Death, Burial, and Resurrection. We die to our sins in repentance, are buried with Him in baptism, and are resurrected to a new life by receiving the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghost is the best part!

God told Abraham to go offer his precious son, Isaac as a human sacrifice. Why? Because God wanted Abraham to realize and you and I as well that the only gift worthy of giving to the creator is giving Him the most precious creation that you have received. God had worked a tremendous miracle in giving Isaac to Abraham and Sarah. They were old, well beyond the age of child bearing and that son meant everything to them. But Abraham did not grumble or argue with God, he in fact told the servants that he and Isaac were going to "worship." Abraham was called the friend of God because He was willing to give up the most precious creation as a gift to God.

And it was AFTER Abraham got the boy on the altar and raised the knife, that the angel of the Lord stepped in and God said "now I know that I can give you the blessings that I have reserved for you." "Now I can trust you with these promises and bless you beyond measure without worrying about them destroying you." Because Abraham was willing to give his most precious created possession back to God as a gift, his life was never again the same!

When you willingly give your precious life as a gift to God, God gives new life and then can trust you with greater blessings. God will not be out given. If you give God everything that you have as a gift, then you will receive everything that God has for you! When God realizes that you are willing to give Him that great gift of your life, then He will always respond with giving back a new life and a resurrection. That's how Paul was able to say:

Paul was saying that "I have given God the greatest gift that I could give, my life, by following His example and being crucified with Him" "Yet though I died to my will, yet I still live but it's a new life that God is doing with me!" There is no more powerful experience than experiencing God's love and blessing upon you when you obey His example of death, burial, and resurrection and in so doing give Him the greatest gift of All: His precious creation! Your life is the greatest gift of all!

________________________________________________________________________

The wise men thought it out and planned and they brought the most precious created things that they could fine. As I close this sermon, I would like to point out why gold, frankincense, myrrh were so precious.

Man has tried for years to create gold, called the science of alchemy. But man has learned that try as he might, he cannot create gold: and that is why it is precious, for it must be through hard labor mined from the earth and then crushed into nuggets to remove the large rocks. These nuggets must then be heated until they melt which causes the impurities to rise to the top where they can be skimmed and removed from the gold. This purification of the gold must be repeated many times until the gold is at the desired purity. Even today men cannot purify gold completely. Scientists say that if gold were to be completely purified that it would be transparent as glass. What man can't do, God can for Revelation says that the New Jerusalem is made of pure gold like "transparent glass."

The reason that men go through the tedious refining process is that the more pure the gold is, the more malleable or able to be shaped and molded it is! The Greek word for the gold that the wise men brought means "processed, refined, and shaped gold." They did not bring the creator rough nuggets but the finished process of impurities removed. God knows that man cannot purify themselves on their own, so God has provided a process through His Word and Spirit operating in our lives to refine us and remove the impurities from our life. After you give your life to Jesus Christ through repentance, water baptism, and receiving His Spirit, God begins a refining process in your life. That is why John said that Jesus would one day baptize with the "Holy Ghost and with FIRE." God begins to try to melt down your hardness and bring the impurities out so that you can become pure and more malleable and able to be shaped by His hand.

The wise men had prepared the gold in advance of presenting to Jesus Christ at His first coming. But Jesus Christ is coming again! Those who are wise are the ones who are allowing the Holy Ghost and the Word of God to shape us and refine us and purify us in order to be ready to present our life to Him at His second coming!

I do not have time to give a complete study on myrrh and frankincense so I will only point out a couple of facts. Both myrrh and frankincense are resins that come from either peeling the bark away from their specific trees or cutting deeply into the tree. The tree begins to send sap to cover the wound and this sap begins to harden when exposed to air. It is removed from the tree only after being able to harden for 3 or 4 months. It then must be ground into a fine powder. It took a lot of hard work, time, and cultivation to produce the frankincense and myrrh.

Both frankincense and myrrh were used as powerful medicines. Frankincense has been proven to help stomach disorders and ulcers when taken internally. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that it was to be sprinkled upon the shewbread which the priests ate (Leviticus 24:7). As they went about their stressful duties, the priests had a natural stomach and ulcer soother that they were eating continually. Myrrh was a bacteriostatic which meant that it stopped bacteria from growing in wounds. If taken internally, it has a mind-numbing effect which is why the Romans would give myrrh mingled with wine to those on the cross to help them get through the pain. Jesus refused this while on the cross and chose to go through the pain and suffering in His right mind without any help from drugs (Mark 15:23)!

But the reason why the frankincense and myrrh was so sacred in worship and so valuable was because they were the only powders that could be burnt upon the altar as incense that did not leave an ashy residue. Frankincense and myrrh are completely and totally consumed when offered! Therefore they were prized as being the best things to offer unto God because God received everything and nothing was left behind.

Jesus is coming back again. Are you preparing your gift of your life? Are you enduring the trials that have come to purify you? Are you allowing yourself to be shaped and molded in the hands of God? Are you allowing every part of your life to be consumed by the Holy Ghost? Are you presenting EVERYTHING to God as a gift and not holding anything back? That is the only way that you will give God a gift worthy of the creator!

________________________________________________________________________

I close with this. In our other text, we find a portrait of what heaven is like. We find 24 elders who represent the redeemed falling before Jesus Christ who sits on the throne and offering them their crowns:

Jesus said in Revelation 2:10b to the church "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." That crown represents eternal life. Is there anything more precious than getting the gift of living forever with Him? And yet as they looked upon the one who sat upon the throne, they fell down before Him and worshipped Him "casting their crowns at His feet." Even in heaven they realized that the most precious gift that they could give was to take the most precious thing that they had received and give it back to Him!

The greatest gift that you can give is to take what was created and given to you and give it back to the creator. No other gift other than our complete self is worthy and pleasing to God.