The Gift No One Expected

Transcript

Week 1 of the series Uncommon Gift. Transcribed from the service recording and lightly edited for readability.

Welcome to December

Here we go. Welcome to December, the last month of the year. We made it. We made it. We made it. So this month, if I can get my technology working, we'll be alright.

It's Been a Day

There we go. It's been a day. I'm going to let y'all know that already. It's 9:30 in the morning, but it's been a day. As my father would say, there must be a word from the Lord. I woke up this morning getting ready, and I was early, but I couldn't find my keys. I had to go to my mama's house to get the backup set. I was trying to get my visuals together, and they just weren't coming together. Stuff just kept happening. So that must mean there's something God wants to say that the devil doesn't want us to hear.

As I'm driving, I'm getting frustrated. But something said, "Settle down. Take your time. Don't worry about it." So here we are.

Series: Uncommon Gift

This series is called Uncommon Gift. Dre, do me a favor and go back to the first slide. There we go. Just look at that. Dwell on it: the uncommon gift. And this week we're going to talk about the gift no one expected.

The Gift No One Expected: Luke 2:8–14

In Luke chapter 2, there's the story of how Jesus came into this world. I'll read it for you, starting in Luke 2:8:

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

The Angels Appeared to Shepherds

The story is interesting because it says the angels appeared to shepherds. Shepherds were actually one of the lowest classes of citizens in that day. We might think of them as the bottom of the barrel.

Why? They worked out in the fields. Even though their work was crucial to Israel's religion, they were still looked down on. What do I mean? Shepherds took care of the sheep and the lambs: the very animals people needed to sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins. The people responsible for caring for the animals necessary for your sins to be forgiven were still looked down on by society. They had to be away from people for a long time, out in the wilderness taking care of those animals, which meant they couldn't go through the regular rituals of being ceremonially clean. So they were seen as dirty and downcast, yet they were necessary. And these are the people God chose to tell that the One who was going to save them had just been born.

Gifts Often Come Wrapped in Humility

Gifts often come wrapped in humility. But that's not what we think about when we think about gifts. We think about something big, something extravagant, something awesome for everybody to behold. But gifts often come wrapped in humility.

Looking for Someone to Set Us Free

Think about it. The Jews at that point were under Roman rule, and they wanted somebody to set them free.

Let me make this clear. We're in the Trump economy right now, and we want somebody to free us from the financial bondage we think we're in, because everything seems to cost so much. I'm kind of smart; I've been to school a little bit. So my idea for fixing this situation is to look for who can be the next president. Who can we replace this joker with who can do better and improve our situation? If we can't get a president, what about a congressman or a senator who can help control the House or the Senate and jockey for position, so we can get somewhere? Because that's how we think. Or wait: what if we get a billionaire, somebody like Elon Musk, to convert to Christianity? Maybe he can get in there and talk some sense into this dude, and we can fix this situation.

But that's not how God works.

Born in a Barn

God said, "I'm going to send a baby to be the Savior." And when He's born, He isn't even going to be born in the best hospital in town. He was born in a barn. And God announced His birth to society by telling the lowest-class citizens available. All I'm trying to say is that we expect God to be working in places God isn't working.

Ordinary Settings, Extraordinary Purposes

God uses ordinary settings for extraordinary purposes. How many of you think you're ordinary today? Some of you think life would be better if you weren't here, because you don't mean anything to anybody. Why? Because you don't feel how much your presence means to the people around you. You feel ordinary.

Y'all aren't picking up what I'm putting down, but that's okay. I'm going to keep moving.

Humble Beginnings Shift the Glory Back to God

Humble beginnings shift the glory back to God. No palace can claim credit for Jesus' birth. God used the manger as the throne of the future King of the world.

When you know who you are, it doesn't matter where you are or what you have. Jesus was the Creator of the universe. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And verse 14 says, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us."

That's what we're talking about. The Word became flesh. God started with a baby. Why? Because He wanted you to know that everything you're going through, your God has been through. He started life just like you started life. He went through every temptation known to man that you're experiencing today. And He started from these humble beginnings.

Unexpected Packaging Tests Our Perception

Unexpected packaging tests our spiritual perception. You didn't like the packaging. There were a lot of whoopings whose packaging I didn't like, but they got me straight and on the right track. There are situations you're going through right now where you're like, "God, why me?" But He's trying to get you to a place where you can truly hear Him. You just don't like the packaging. "This ain't the kind of gift I want."

Remember that car that only started when it wasn't cold outside? Y'all know that car didn't always start. You were hoping and praying it would start. And boy, when that thing started, you'd be so excited. A lot of us had those cars, but now we're in a nice whip and can't even appreciate the whip we're in. We forgot where we came from.

This is the Christmas season, and we get so wrapped up in everything other than what it's about. It's about the birth of Christ, the entrance of our Savior into the world. Without that entrance, we would still be deep in sin.

If Christ Had Not Come

I'm about to get off track, but I'll get back on in a second. Check this out. If Christ had not come, we'd have to sacrifice animals to be in God's good graces. We come and celebrate baptism, but instead of baptism, we'd be cutting open animals and shedding blood. That's what we'd be doing.

Yet when it comes to the birth of Christ, the first thing we think about at Christmas is what we're going to get. Isn't it? Because from birth we've been raised that way. Back in the day we had that Toys "R" Us book. Or if you went to Grandma's house, she'd give you the Sears catalog. And all along, you'd be planning what you were going to get.

I told you I don't fight fair. We've got to untrain our brains. Our brains have been trained wrong for so long. We've got to get back to the real reason, because I'm telling you, if you get back to the real reason for the season, you will receive a gift so unimaginable that your life will be changed forever.

Heaven's Announcement Came to the Overlooked

Heaven's announcement came to the overlooked. It came to the shepherds out in the middle of the field, in the middle of nowhere. Anybody ever been out to West Texas? Anybody ever driven from here to California through that desert? There's nothing out there. They've got signs telling you to get gas now because there won't be any more for a long way. Just imagine being way out there, and God tells you something that you now have to go tell other people.

That isn't how we operate. Right now we get news on our phones. We could all open our apps right now. Some people are on Facebook, some on Twitter, some on Instagram. If you posted, "I saw Jesus today," it would go viral. Whether it happened or not, people would be like, "What? I've got to figure this out. What happened?" Each of you can create news instantly. But God chose to go into the wilderness to make this news known.

God's Invitation Isn't Limited by Social Standing

This is what we're starting to realize: God's invitation is not limited by our social standing.

Even the disciples were young men, some of them teenagers. Fishermen. They weren't well educated. Matter of fact, they were working as fishermen because they didn't go on in school. Back then, when you reached a certain age, a decision was made. If you were smart, they kept you in school. If not, you went to work with your people in the craft or trade you'd be in for the rest of your life. That's why it was so awesome when Jesus came on the scene and picked them. They had been overlooked and missed their educational opportunities. And here's a teacher with great knowledge, and nobody knows where it came from, and He says, "Forget that job. Come walk with Me."

And He was so awesome that He said, "Not only can you come walk with Me; I'm going to provide for your family while you're gone." How? Remember, when He called them to walk with Him, He told them to cast their nets. They cast their nets and came up with more fish than they could handle. So He had already taken care of their families while they were gone.

Some of us aren't willing to walk with God right now because we're wondering how we'll take care of our family, how this is going to happen, how that will be taken care of. And God says, "Just trust Me. I've already provided for them. You just need to step out and go."

God Meets You Right Where You Are

God meets you right where you are. We want everybody to come into the church, into the temple, but God met the shepherds right where they were. They were in the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord came to the wilderness. Are you in the wilderness right now? God will meet you right where you are. Some of us just have to realize that God has already met us right where we are.

Okay, I'm going to get off your toes. I've got my Converse on today, so I'm not going to step on your toes today. Let's go.

God Values Faithfulness in Ordinary People

God values faithfulness in ordinary people. You don't have to be a pastor. You don't have to be an influencer. You don't have to be a celebrity to be used by God. God wants to use ordinary people. And the cool thing is, when He does, He gets all the glory.

When you delve into this word and keep reading it, one of the statements that strikes me every time is something like, "So that they will know that I am God." And everything that came before that statement wasn't good. Everything that went on with the Egyptians and the Israelites: He did all those things to the Egyptians so that they would know that He is God. He took a lot of the prophets through some things, lying on their side and eating this and that for days on top of days, months at a time, so that the people would know that He is God.

Some of the things you're going through right now are because of what you've done. But some of them are because God is trying to show people that He is God, in your cubicle, at your desk at school, wherever you are. People can come to know He is God through you.

The 199th Draft Pick

Awesome things happen to people who are often overlooked. There was a guy who played football and retired recently. When he got drafted, he was the 199th pick. Overlooked. "This dude must not be good for nothing. He barely got picked." But Tom Brady became one of the best football players known to man. He wasn't picked at the top of the draft. He wasn't expected to do anything.

Same thing with you. You might not be expected to do anything, but if you allow God to use you like only He can, you're going to do more amazing things than you can ever imagine.

The Greatest Gift Meets the Deepest Need

The greatest gift meets the deepest need. Verse 11 says, "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Do you need to be saved? Are you in a situation right now that you can't get yourself out of? God is the only One who can save you. It doesn't matter what you get under that Christmas tree. I don't care how good the gift is; it probably isn't going to get you out of the situation you're in. And most of us are broke, and we're going to be more broke after Christmas.

Why? Because we're trying to make other people feel good. We're trying to feel better about ourselves, making it look like we balled out, like we can provide for our family and make our kids happy. But you still aren't going to be fulfilled and satisfied, because it has nothing to do with that.

There's nothing wrong with getting gifts and giving gifts. It's actually awesome, because it's one of the times we can truly evangelize and let people know that God is a gift giver: "I see your needs, and I can take care of some things for you." That's who God is. He's awesome. Next year we're going to look at how we can try to out-give God. I want to try. I told you I'm crazy; I ain't got good sense. Let me get back to my lesson.

Our Deepest Need Is Reconciliation With God

Our deepest need is reconciliation with God. That's our deepest need. Political freedom? We can take it or leave it. That's why I don't pay too much attention to politics; I can't change it. There are things I do: I vote. Too many people died for that right. But I change the things I can change on a daily basis: being nice to people, listening to people, talking to people. Those are the things that can affect society and change things.

Church, if somebody comes to school in a trench coat, be nice to them. I'm just saying: be nice to everybody. If somebody is too quiet, go talk to them.

God Solves the Root Problem

God solves the root problem, not just the surface issue. For the Israelites, the surface issue was Roman rule. But the true issue was sin. Separation from God is our true issue, and we don't want to look at that. We don't want to deal with it.

We went through D.I.R.T.Y. all last month because we were trying to look at the things we don't want to look at. When you look at the things you don't want to look at, you have to deal with them. Like I told you, we're going to sweep the dirt.

God's Gift Is Deeply Personal

God's gift is deeply personal. Who was the Savior born to? "Us." The Savior was born to you. Isn't that crazy? We weren't even born yet, but our Savior was born to us. God knew from the beginning of time that we would be sitting here needing some saving, so He sent somebody to save us.

So often God has already given us what we've been asking for, and we just don't recognize it, because we're so focused on what we don't have. Sometimes you're praying on that one thing, praying and praying and praying. Then one day you stop and realize, "Oh, wait. God, You already answered those other prayers. I forgot about those other prayers I prayed. You answered them already."

God says, "Stop focusing on what you don't have. Focus on what I've already given you, what I've already placed inside you, what's already within reach." If we look throughout scripture, every time people came to Him asking, God turned around and said, "What do you have in your hand?" Everything you have, God has already gifted to you. It's just so uncommon that we don't even recognize it as a gift.

The Manger Was a Feeding Trough

This week I went looking for a manger and couldn't find one. So I called Isaiah: "Isaiah, make me a manger." He said, "You should have called me yesterday." Alright, that's fine.

But look at the manger. What I realized is that the manger has been romanticized. Y'all know what this is? A dog bowl. Same thing. A manger was something animals ate out of. Your Savior was born in a dog bowl.

This is how low God was willing to go. I cleaned this one up, but this is probably what it really looked like out in that barn. They just put a little blanket on it, put some hay in it, and laid Him in it. This is how God came. If this is how God came, how much do you mean to Him?

"I created everything, and I was willing to come this low to enter the world to let you know you are so important to Me. I'm going to start as the lowest possible thing, so you know you can't get any lower than I've already been."

"I got you" is what He's telling me to tell you. "I got you. You give Me your life, and I'll give you everything."

Savior Means Deliverer

The word Savior means deliverer, preserver, rescuer. It's often used for military heroes, yet here it applies to a newborn, redefining the concept of rescue. God says, "I got you."

Weekly Challenge

So this week, as we wrap it up:

Reflect: Where might God be sending an uncommon gift that you've overlooked because it's wrapped in humility?

Act: Intentionally bless someone this week who is often overlooked.

Pray: "Lord, open my eyes to see Your gifts, especially the ones wrapped in humility, and give me the courage to value what You value."

Closing Prayer

Let us pray. Most gracious and heavenly Father, I come before You saying thank You. Father God, thank You for this opportunity to stand before Your people. I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart were pleasing in Your sight. Father God, I pray that this word does not go out void, but that it touches the lives and hearts of Your people. Lord, open our eyes so that we can truly see the uncommon gifts You've already given us and treasure them to the fullest. Lord, we love You and praise You. In Jesus' name, amen.