Your Gift Is Under The Tree

I have a word for people that are with us online this evening. This is Christmas night that you're listening to this service. You're listening to these songs.

You're listening to the message that's about to be spoken to you. But here's my message to you tonight. Your gift is under the tree.

Your gift is under the tree. You'll understand that in just a moment. So Father, I thank you, God, for the touch of heaven, not only in this sanctuary today, but God online.

I thank you for heaven invading whatever place people are in tonight. Whether the day has been joyous or it's been a grand disappointment, whatever it is, God, we're asking you now by your Holy Spirit to invade that place with light, with life, with truth, with hope, with healing, with a new vision for the future, God. The things that only you can give, we ask you to give this night.

Lord, thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God, that we have taken this day to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We thank you, God, for the hope that came into each of our hearts because we came to the knowledge of what actually happened on Calvary for us over 2,000 years ago. God, thank you for what you're going to do tonight. Thank you for the miracles, the transformations that will happen.

God, as your word is spoken, as your testimonies are given, as songs are sung to you, Lord, we thank you for the miracle that will happen in somebody's life this night. In Jesus' name, amen. Now, somebody's listening to this tonight and you say, what exactly are you talking about? We don't have a tree in our house.

Or if we did, there's nothing under it for me. Or what was there was one big grand disappointment as usual. Maybe your day has been a wonderful one with family and food and everything else.

But for many, it's not a wonderful day. It's a lonesome day. It's a day of regret.

It's a day of confusion. It's a day when families come together with such good intentions. Well, at least most of them do.

And that usually devolves midway through the day. And all the old grievances come back and the arguments come back. Maybe you're the only believer in your house today, or one of the few in your family that do believe.

And you say, God, is there anything for me today? What is there for me? Well, first of all, maybe you don't have a tree in your house that's visible. But I want to tell you, spiritually speaking, you actually do have a tree in your house. Over 2,000 years ago, somebody went to a forest somewhere and cut down a tree.

And they trimmed the branches off of that tree and probably used axes and squared the timber and brought it to a place just outside of Jerusalem and planted it in the ground. And that tree was called the cross. And on that tree, God hung the most precious thing that this world or universe has ever known.

He put his son on that tree. Now, we decorate some of our trees at home with precious ornaments, things that have been in the family for years. But this was a gift that is beyond.

This was something put on the tree that's beyond anything that you and I have ever seen or could ever understand. And at the bottom of that tree, the blood of the son of God dripped out into the dust, vanquishing all of our enemies. When he said on that tree, it is finished, that means the reign of hopelessness and sin was over.

For you and I, we don't have a hopeless future. We have an eternity with God. We have something so precious given to us.

Oh God, of all the places I suppose that I could have ever been in my life, and I've traveled to a lot of places, but what an amazing thing it would have been. It would have been hard to view for sure. But with understanding that we have today, to see and understand what happened on that tree 2,000 years ago when God gave his son as a living sacrifice to pay the price for our sin, for that which separated us from God, so that you and I could come home to God.

We could be born again as the Bible calls it. We could be forgiven. We could be in right relationship with God, which means the reign of hopelessness and sin in our lives is over.

Oh, thank God. Thank God. It could get tough in life.

And I understand that. It could be tough in your life today. But you are not hopeless if you know Christ as your savior.

You are not a slave to sin anymore because Jesus Christ destroyed the power of your captivity when he was raised from the dead after dying on that cross. And the weaknesses and limitations of our human condition have lost the right to dictate our boundaries and our futures. Oh, thank God.

When we come to Christ, it's an amazing thing what God has given us through the gift of his son. It's absolutely amazing. And maybe you don't have that much in your house or your apartment today.

Maybe you have nothing around you that shines and nothing that you feel you could celebrate. But you have the son of God reaching out to you. You have the gift of God's salvation through his son, Jesus Christ.

And you can lay hold of that tree. You can go to that tree because the calling and presence of God in each of our lives is still there to bring his name to reputation and to bring others to him. In the book of Romans chapter 8 and verses 10 and 11, the scripture says, if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit that dwells in you. We are dead without God. But because of Christ, we are given the promise that the same spirit that raised him from the dead will raise us out of our weaknesses, raise us out of our limitations, raise us up into the newness of life that is promised by God and by God alone.

Ephesians chapter 4, beginning at verse 4, Paul the apostle says, there's one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all. But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men.

This is amazing. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, he took with him your captivity. He took it captive.

There's no power of hell that can still hold you. There's no wound of the past that can continue to grind your face in regret. There is nothing that was brought into your life because of sin that has the right to have dominion over you any longer.

Not only did he take your captivity captive, but because of the cross, when he rose from the dead, giftings were released for you. For everyone listening online tonight, for everyone in the sanctuary this evening, giftings were given to you from God. He didn't just take your captivity captive, which would be good enough as far as I'm concerned.

It would be the fact that my sin is washed away. The fact that I have newness of life, the fact that I have the spirit of God dwelling inside. He doesn't owe me anything after this.

I'm full. I'm complete in him. But it wasn't all that he did.

He took my captivity captive. He wrote, he blotted out the list of my sin that stood between me and God. And then he sent giftings because of the cross.

And that's the gift under the tree that still waits for many people tonight. It's still there. It's still yours for the asking.

In Ephesians chapter one, verse 18, Paul says that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. If you could just see what God has for you, it's amazing what God has. The supernatural abilities to do things that you can't do in yourself.

But God says, I'm going to give you a gift. And through that gift, I'm going to do through you some things that you could not do in yourself. And I'm going to bring my own name to reputation through you.

And you are going to be a living witness of the reality that there is a living savior. He did take your captivity captive. He did cause you to become a new creation and then gave you abilities to do things that you couldn't do in your own strength.

I've known this throughout my life. I thank God. I thank God for this one testimony that I have that I'm not qualified to do anything that I do.

And I never want to be qualified to do it because it's Christ in me that's been the hope of glory. It's the gifting of God. It's because I reached out and I went to the tree and I basically said, God, what you have for me, that's what I want.

I want your salvation. Obviously, that's where it all begins. But after your salvation, I want what you have for my life so that I can be used of you to bring your name to glory and to bring other people into the understanding of what happened on Calvary's cross over 2,000 years ago.

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe according to the working of his mighty power, the exceeding greatness of his power, the exceeding great. You know, sometimes there's words that we just kind of skip over in the text of the scripture and we don't stop and meditate on it and chew on it, not just power, exceeding greatness of his power. It exceeds our limitation.

It exceeds even our expectations of what God is able to do in us and through us, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him in his right hand at heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named. In other words, whatever name is named over you now, Christ is bigger than that name and more powerful than that name, not only in this age, but in that which is to come. And he's put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

And I love chapter two, verse one, which brings it to summation and you he made alive who are dead in trespasses and sins. I live because of Jesus Christ. I live the greatest gift at the bottom of Calvary's tree is eternal life for you and for me.

Thank God. His blood washed away my sin. His blood gave me the promise of forgiveness.

His blood guaranteed me a place in heaven for all of eternity. His blood brought my life into this place of promise where I'm placed in the hand of God. And there's nothing of this world or in any power of this world to take me out of the hand of God.

His blood gave me the promise that I would become a new creation. The old things that governed my life would pass away and all things would become new. This is the greatest gift of God that any one of us could ever receive this Christmas time under the tree that's called Calvary.

In first Corinthians chapter 12, that's where I want to finish. Today, first Corinthians chapter 12, verse seven and onward, the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. That's first Corinthians 12, beginning at verse seven.

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit. To another, the word of knowledge through the same spirit. To another, faith by the same spirit.

To another, gifts of healings by the same spirit. To another, the working of miracles. To another, prophecy.

To another, discerning of spirits. To another, different kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation of tongues.

But the one and same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. So all these giftings are available to us as the body of Jesus Christ and he gives them out as he wills to give them out. I don't necessarily know what gifting I have when I come to Christ, but he knows all I have to do is go to the tree because my gift is already there under the tree.

You understand where I'm going with this. My gift and your gift is already there. You know, many people, they don't understand the generosity that's in the heart of God.

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That word really means generosity. Where the spirit of God is, he didn't die for us, take our captivity captive and go back to heaven and leave us bankrupt in a sense, strength-wise to bring the message of who he is to this generation.

In order to do what we're called to do, he gave us giftings of the Holy Spirit. And for many people, your gift is still under the tree. I don't know.

Did you just not believe that God would give it to you? Did it look too spectacularly wrapped? Did it look like maybe, did you feel like I don't deserve this? Well, let me give you some good news. You actually don't deserve it. None of us do.

It's the goodness of God that has given us the things that we need to glorify his name on the earth. So don't think you have to earn it. You can't earn it.

It was given to you freely. It was given to me freely. And God has placed some things under this tree called Calvary for you and for me that will, if we will open it, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to operate through our lives, it will bring the name of Jesus Christ through us to reputation.

And we will find strength that we don't have in ourselves. Oh, thank God for the simplicity of Christ. Remember, Paul said, I fear for certain people in the New Testament.

He said, I fear for you, lest you should be turned from the simplicity that is in Christ, lest you should be convinced somehow that the goodness of God doesn't belong to you or the giftings of God are not for you or you look in the mirror and you see some deficiency in your life. And there's this incredible gifting of God that is just waiting for you to receive it because he's already given it. And the gifts of God and the callings of God are without repentance.

He doesn't say, oh, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have given that to Carter. No, I'm gonna take it back.

So the big box leaves and the little box comes back in, you know, not wrapped. No, that's the way we think God is sometimes. If we haven't had a good week or a good year or a good day, we count ourselves unworthy of the salvation that God provides through his son or the giftings that God is willing to give through his son, Jesus Christ.

When he rose from the dead, he took our captivity captive and gave gifts, captive and gave gifts. I'm gonna say it again. Captivity captive and gave gifts.

These things from God came down. They're under the tree called Calvary and they have your name written on the tag. And so this Christmas, I want to encourage you.

Your gift is waiting for you under the tree. All you have to do is go and get it and let it start with salvation. Admit that you can't save yourself.

Believe that God sent his son in your place on the cross and allowed his son to die and be rejected. And his son endured actually the wrath of God in your place so that you can be set free from the judgment that you and I deserve for the things that we did against the truth of God and the person of God and begin to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus as your savior. Don't make it complicated.

I love the fact I heard a message here recently in this pulpit from Pastor Jay Fallon that really touched my heart. And it's about the thief on the cross where, you know, sometimes we want to make salvation so difficult. The thief on the cross, he just leaned over to this man called Jesus.

And he just said, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said, I'll tell you this day, you shall be with me in paradise. And he took us.

He said, I want you to go with me. He told the story he had heard of this same man appearing. You know, we don't know what it's like when we get to heaven, you know, but it's just a scene that he created in his mind that you get to heaven's gate as it is.

And there's somebody there with a big book and looking to see if your name is in it and what you did. The final entrance, you know, as into the gates as it is, that's just the scene. And this thief on the cross, he shows up and the gentleman with the book or the angel of the book says, so what is your viewpoint on millennialism or pre-millennial? Were you pre-millennial? Were you a millennial? Were you, whoa, he looks and he says, well, I don't know anything about those things.

Okay, well, maybe that's a little too difficult for you. He said, were you baptized? What is that? I'm not sure what that is. No, I wasn't baptized.

Well, were you part of a connect group? Yeah, I guess I was. When I stole something, I connected with Felix and Felix connected with Jessica and then we connected with Lightfinger Louie who sold it and then we all shared parts of the... So I guess I was part of a connect group after all. Yes, I was.

And you can see the angel scratching his head. Did you pray the sinner's prayer? I don't know. I don't know what that is.

And then finally, after a whole litany of questions, the angel says, so how did you get here? He says, well, the guy on the cross beside me said I could come. You see, the message for you who are listening tonight is the one on the cross in the middle said you could come, the son of God. Now his prayer was just don't forget me.

Don't leave me behind. Have mercy on me. I'm paraphrasing it a bit, but that's in essence what was in his cry.

Please, if you are a king and you are going to a kingdom, would you take me with you? And Jesus said, yes, today you'll be with me in paradise. Isn't that amazing? He didn't know any of the things that we know. Didn't have the chance to go to Bible school.

Didn't have a chance to make restitution. Couldn't come down from the cross and pay back the debt he owed. There's nothing he could do.

Couldn't be baptized. Couldn't go to new believers class. There's nothing he could do.

But he ended up in heaven because the Christ on the cross said he could come. And so that's the word to you tonight. God sent his son and he died for you.

And if all you can utter tonight is Jesus, would you remember me? Would you please not leave me behind? I open my heart to you as the son of God. And I invite you into my life to be my Lord and my savior. I don't want to be left behind.

I realize I haven't done well. I haven't done right. I've not lived right.

But you died in my place and I receive into my heart the sacrifice that you paid for the sin that I have committed. And I ask you tonight to be my Lord and to be my savior. I can promise you one thing.

If you pray this prayer with me right now, this would be the best Christmas of your entire life. There'll never be another one like it. And you will celebrate every year.

It will not no longer be a time of sorrow for you. Won't be a time of there will be. Yes, you have to get through some stuff.

I understand that. But it will be a beautiful time for you. Let's all pray this prayer together for the sake of our brother, our sister that are going to pray this tonight.

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for loving me. Thank you for paying the price for my sin, for the wrong things that I've done. That had separated me from God.

But you took my place. And you took my punishment. You hung on the tree for me so that I could have eternal life in heaven with you.

So tonight I open my heart and I come to Calvary's tree for the gift of eternal life. Gift of forgiveness. The gift of God's love.

I open my heart. And I receive you, Jesus. As my Lord and my Savior.

And in the same way. You have opened your heart tonight. To receive me.

As your child forever. I love you, Jesus. Thank you for loving me.

I believe. That I am forgiven. I believe.

That heaven is my home. And I believe. That you have a purpose for my life.

I will live for you, Lord. For the rest of my days. In Jesus name.

Amen. And amen. Praise God.

If you prayed that. Tonight from your heart. Would you text the word decided to 51,000? Just go ahead and do that.

Decided to 51,000. There'll be a video coming your way from Times Square Church. And let us help you get started in your walk with God.