Rick Warren - The Greatest Christmas Gift You Still Haven't Opened

Now, the whole purpose of Christmas is summed up in

the most famous verse in the Bible. It's a verse

that we've all heard many times. John three, verse sixteen,

and it says this God so loved the world that

he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him

should not perish, but have everlasting life. That's the whole

purpose of Christmas. God so loved the world. By the way,

it all starts with love that he gave. You can

give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. God

so loved the world that he gave the very first

Christmas gift. The whole reason that we give gifts at

Christmas is because God started this whole tradition by giving

the first Christmas gift. And the first Christmas gift was

God's gift of his son to you.

It's the first gift.

It's the most expensive gift you'll ever get, and it's

the greatest gift you're ever going to receive. Now, follow

the logic of the Bible. Romans Chapter eight says this

on your outline. Since God did not spare his own son,

but he gave him up for us all, then can

we not expect that with him God will freely give

us all his gifts. He says, If God so loved

us so much that he gave his only son, can

we not expect him to give us freely all his

other gifts. Circle the phrase with him. Notice with him.

With God's gift of Jesus, you get many other gifts

at the same time. Have you ever received a gift

inside of a gift? Sure you have, you know. You

get a box, You open it up, there's a box inside.

You open it up. There's a box inside that.

You open up, there's a box inside that, and inside

one gift is a bunch of other little gifts. At Christmas,

God's gift to you is Jesus Christ. That's the big gift.

That's the big box that God gives you. God so

loved you that he gave his only son to die

for you. That's the big gift. But inside the big

box are many other smaller gifts. I want you to

write this down in your outline. All of God's gifts

are wrapped in Jesus. And when you get Jesus, you

get all the other gifts that He wants to give you.

I once did a study of this, and I made

a list of all the gifts that God wants to

give you because of Jesus, and in the New Testament

they're over fifty, over fifty. In fact, the word gift

in gifts is you sixty six times in the New Testament.

It's one of the major themes of the Bible today.

I want us to just look at four four of

the Christmas gifts God wants to give you when you

receive the big gift of Jesus Christ. Now you've heard

people say the phrase the spirit of Christmas is what giving. Yeah,

the spirit of Christmas is giving. Well, I don't want

to shock you, but that's wrong. It's wrong. The spirit

of Christmas is not giving. Yes, giving is a subset,

it's an application, but the spirit of Christmas is not

actually giving. The spirit of Christmas is actually receiving God's

gift to you. You don't have anything to give until

you've been given what God gave to you, the very

first Christmas gift. Christmas is all about receiving God's gifts

to you. So let's get right into it. Four things

God wants to give you this Christmas. Number one, when

I accept Jesus Christ, the big gift God. So loved

me that he gave his son. When I accept the

big gift, God gives me number one a new identity.

He gives me a new identity. Let me ask you

a very personal question. Where do you get your identity.

On? Who you think you are?

On? What do you base who you think you are?

Most people get their identity from one to three things,

from their work, from their relationships, or from things from work.

You say to my people, who are you? What are you?

They'll say, I'm an accountant, I'm a plumber, I'm a

truck driver, I'm a homemaker.

Whatever.

No, that's what you do. That's not who you are.

That's not your identity. Some people try to get their

identity from relationships. I'm a mom, I'm a mother, I'm

a dad, I'm a father, I'm a husband, I'm an uncle,

i'm a grandparent, I'm a boss. Some people try to

find their identity through what they have. This is my house,

this is my bank account. These are the things that

I collect and I find my identity and my hobby.

Let me give you some very important advice. As a

pastor who loves you and who cares about you, never,

never ever, ever base your identity on something you can lose.

Never, if you build.

Your identity on something that can be taken from you,

you're going to lose.

It's not your true identity. What am I saying.

The only thing that cannot be taken away from you

is this God's unconditional love for you. And so if

you want to have your true identity and your new

identity and your permanent identity, you must receive it from

God and build it on the fact that you are

loved by God unconditionally, and nobody can take that from you.

Here's what the Bible says Tewod Corinthians chapter five. When

someone accepts Christ, that's the big gift. I accept the

big gift. God so loved the world that he gave

his son. When someone accepts Christ, he becomes a brand

new person. And inside circle that brand new person, new identity,

he's not the same anymore. A new life has begun.

Jesus called it being born again. He said, it's like

getting a fresh start. It's like starting over. It's like

not turn over new leaf. You get a whole new life.

He says.

When you accept the big gift of Christmas, God's love

for you, God's son. He says, you get a whole

new idea. And what does it mean. Does that mean

that now you're perfect, That now you never sin, that now.

You never struggle. Of course not.

That doesn't mean that at all. It just means you're

not identified with your sin. You're not identified with your struggle,

You're not identified with your past. You have a new identity.

I'm a child of God. You need to get your

id from God. Here's what Jesus said in John chapter eight.

He said, if you follow my words, you will know

the truth, and the truth will what.

Set you free.

Everybody in America knows the last part of that phrase,

the truth will set you free. Almost nobody in America

knows the first part of the sentence, which says, if

you listen to me, says Jesus, if you follow my words,

then you're gonna know the truth, and then the truth

will such you're free.

Truth.

You're not gonna learn truth from television. You're not gonna

learn truth from magazines. You're gonna learn truth from your friends.

They don't know the truth about you. God knows the

truth about you. Romans twelve, verse two. Let God transform

you by changing you into a new person. Let God

transform you into new person by changing the way you think.

It starts by the way you see yourself. You've got

to get a new id, a true id, a permanent idea.

Then you'll know what God wants you to do his good,

pleasing and perfect will for your life. God has a

purpose for your life. It's good, it's pleasing, and it's perfect.

God has a plan for your life. It's good, it's pleasing,

and it's perfect. God has a will for your life.

It's good, it's pleasing. That means you'll enjoy it, and

it's perfect. It fits you. It's custom made. But you're

not gonna know it until you get a new idea.

And that comes in the big package of Jesus Christ.

So the first thing I need for transformation is the truth,

a new identity. But then I need more than that.

I need power to change. And that's the second gift

God asks for you, and that is God gives me

a new ability, not just a new identity. God gives

me a new ability. He gives me a new power,

a new energy, a new strength, a new capacity. See,

I'm not just depending on willpower anymore to change. You

have tried to change things in your life so many

times and it doesn't work. And you have set New

Year's gold and they last about a week, maybe a month,

may at the most three months.

Why Because willpower doesn't work.

You eventually get tired of doing what you're trying to

do and you give up. You don't need willpower, you

need God power. And God says, I'm going to give

you a new ability, and it's a new ability inside

of you. I'm going to not just be around you.

I'm going to put my spirit inside you. Look at

this verse. The Bible says in Romans chapter five, God

has poured out his love. Notice it's all about love.

God has poured out his love into our hearts by

means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to you.

Circle God's gift to you. God's Spirit is his second gift.

He says, I'm not only going to help you. I'm

not only going to be around you. I'm not only

going to be with you. I'm not going to be

working on you. I'm going to be working in you.

I'm going to put my spirit inside of you. That's

what happens when you receive the gift of God's Christmas

gift Jesus Christ. I'm going to put God's spirit in you.

The next verse says this in the Bible. Now now

that you have God's spirit in you, Now God works

in you, not just with you, for you and around you.

In you by giving you both the desire and the

ability to fulfill is good purpose for you. You know

what the problem is with you and with me. We

know the right things to do. We know the changes

we want to make in our lives. We know how

we'd like to be different at the end of this year.

We have the desire to improve our lives. Everybody does

has a desire to improve their lives.

We have the desire, we don't have the ability.

And yet God says, I'm going to give you the

desire and the ability to do my purpose for your life.

And how am I going to get it by putting

my spirit inside of you.

Love is what changes us.

And the more I'm filled with God's love, the more

power I have to change. Look at the next verse

two Timothy one to seven. For God does not give

us a spirit of fear, but instead he fills us

with power and love and self discipline and circle.

Those three things. Power, love, and self discipline.

Would you like more power yes, more love yes, more

self discipline yes. Then you need to get God's spirit

in your life inside you, God says, I don't fill

you with a spirit of fear. I give you the

three ingredients you have to have to transform your life. Hi,

this is Rick, and thanks for joining me today. You

know this month on Daily Hope we're offering to send

you a special copy of my book called The Purpose

of Christmas. I wrote this book to help you come

to a deeper understanding of God's love for you by

explaining the three purposes of Christmas that were announced by

the Angel at the birth of Jesus. The Angel announced

the time of celebration. I bring you good news of

great joy, salvation for unto you is born this day

in the City of David, a savior who is Christ

the Lord, and reconciliation, Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

Daily Hope is one percent listeners supported ministry. So if

you can help us continue to spread the good news

through this broadcast, I'd appreciate any gift.

That you can send.

I'll send you the hard back edition of this book,

The Purpose of Christmas does our special thank you for

your gift to support the Daily Hope Ministry.

When you give a gift today, your gift will be

doubled by the matching grant up to one hundred thousand

dollars and will send you the purpose Driven Christmas to

say thanks.

If you want to change your life this next year,

you're gonna need truth. That's a new identity about you.

You're gonna need power. That's a new ability that God

gives you, and you're gonna need The third thing is

you're gonna need support. That's love. You're gonna need love,

love and support. And so that's the third gift God

gives you. God says, I want to give you a

new identity, a new ability, a number three.

I want to give you a new community.

This is the third gift wrapped up in the big

box of Jesus community. God says, I'm going to give

you a family, a spiritual family to support you in

doing the right thing. You see, you weren't meant to

go through life all alone. You never were. You were

meant to know God, and you were meant to have

a family around you that supports you. We always change

better in a group than we do on our own.

So why most diets and most personal self health plans

don't work because it's all about you and you.

Don't have any spiritual family to support you.

The Bible says God created an entire universe because he

wanted a family. Look at this verse Ephesians, chapter one.

The Bible says, because of his love. Remember, it all

comes back to God's love. God so loved that he

gave because of his love. God's unchanging plan has always

been to adopt us into his own family by bringing

us to himself through Jesus Christ. God says, I don't

want you to just believe in me. I want you

to belong to my family. I I'm going to say

it again. If you don't get anything else, I say,

I get this. It's not just enough to believe in Jesus.

You need to belong to his family because you need

that support.

Now. Is everybody in the family of God?

No, not everybody is in the family You've got to

be adopted into it. Is everybody a child of God? No,

not everybody is a child. Everybody is loved by God.

God has never made a person he doesn't love. Everybody

is created by God. God has never made a person

he doesn't have a plan for God does memory in person.

He doesn't want in heaven. God has never made a person.

Jesus didn't die for God has never made a person.

He doesn't want to know him personally. But the only

way you get in God's family is by choosing. It's

a decision. See when I was born physically, I automatically

became a part of the human race. I didn't get

a choice when I was born. I became a part

of the human race. But I didn't become a part

of a family until somebody chose to take me home

from the hospital.

Then I became a part of it.

Somebody made a choice. I want that kid. God says,

I want you and my family. Then you've got to

choose to be in his family. And God says, I'm

going to give you not just identity new identity, not

just a new ability. I'm going to give you a

new community, a family around you to help you change.

What is that family. We'll look at what the Bible

says Fir Timothy chapter three. That family is the Church

of the Living God, the support and foundation of the

Truth Circle.

Support and foundation.

You need support, and you need a foundation for your life.

If you don't have a foundation for.

Your life, and you don't have the spiritual support of

a family, you are not going to become what God

wants you to be. Next verse a different spiritual gift.

There's that word gift again. A different spiritual gift is

given to each of us in God's family so we

can help each other for the common good. In other words,

I have some gifts and abilities and talents. They help you.

You have gifts and abilities, talents. They help the person

next to you. They have some gifts and abilities talents

that help me, And on and on. We help each other.

That's what the family's for. That's what the community is for.

The Bible says in Galatians three. In Christ family, there

are no divisions. In other words, no distinctions, no distinctions

between Jew and non Jew, or between slave and free,

or between male and female. Instead, we're all equal in

a common relationship with Jesus Christ. God didn't come to

give you a religion at Christmas. He came to give

you a relationship to Jesus Christ, one of love. Now

there's one other gift that's wrapped up in the big gift.

There's this gift of Jesus, God so loved the world

that he gave the first Christmas gift gave his son

and wrapped up in the big box is a new identity,

a new ability, and a new community. But there's one more,

and this one's going to outlast everything. It is a

new destiny. God gives me when I accept Jesus Christ

in my life, a new destiny. Now, this gift means

the most to me out of all of them. And

the Bible says this first Peter, God has reserved for

his children the priceless gift. There's that word, the priceless

gift of eternal life. It is kept in heaven for you,

pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

And in Romans chapter six we're told this, the free

gift of God is eternal life.

That's the new destiny.

Eternal life to Christ, Jesus our Lord, in the package

of Jesus, the free gift. You don't earn your way

to heaven. You don't buy your way to heaven. You

don't bribe your way to heaven. You don't bargain your

way to heaven. You're never going to be good enough

to get into heaven. You can't talk your way into heaven.

It's simply a free gift. When you receive the big gift,

it's inside, it's part of the package. Look at what

Jesus has to say about this the next verse here

on the screen, Matthew seven to eleven. If you, though

imperfect and sinful, know how to give good gifts to

your children, how much more will your father in heaven

give good gifts to those who ask him. Everything in

your life is a gift from God. The air you breathe,

the son, your brain, your own life. Everything you have

is a gift from God. But there are some gifts

you have to ask for. And you say, I want

Jesus Christ in my life. Summarize God says, I sent

the first Christmas gift, my son to die for you

so you could go to heaven. And I'm going to

give you a new identity. I'm going to give you

a new ability to change the things you want to change.

I'm going to give you a new community called my

church family to support you through life. And I'm going

to give you a new destiny in eternity. Who else

you're going to get that?

Nowhere?

Nowhere else That's why I called it the greatest gifts

you'll ever receive. Now, what do I do with these

gifts of Jesus Christ. I humbly and I gratefully accept them.

The Bible says this, Look at this verse. Thanks be

to God for his indescribable gift. There is no better

gift than what I just talked about. And here's the offer.

The Bible says this. It makes no difference who you

are or where you're from. If you want God and

you're ready to do as he says, the door is open.

He just got asked.

Can you imagine somebody giving you a million dollar gift

and you never open it? That would be stupid. But

I know a lot of people who God's given this

gift you. They've never opened the package. And what's crazy

is they celebrate Christmas. How is it possible to celebrate

Christmas year after year after year after year after year

after year your entire life.

And never open the gift. Hello, what do you think?

It's all about?

God so loved that he gave his son for you.

You need to open the gift. You need to receive

the gift. This gift is for you. Ephesians, chapter three

says this, I pray, I pray that Christ will be

more and more at home in your hearts as you

trust him. May your roots go down deep into the

soil of God's marvelous love.

And I pray.

That you will be able to feel, not just know,

you'll be able to feel and understand how long, how wide,

how deep, how high God's love for you really is.

And you experience this love for yourself. That's my prayer

for you, though it is so great you'll never fully

understand it. That's bower heads.

This is your moment. Before you were born.

God knew that you would be at this point in

this day hearing this, so he could say this to you.

You matter to me, and I've offered you this gift.

God so loved the world, God so loved you that

he gave a son, and in his son are a

new ability and a new identity, and a new community

and a new destiny. Would you pray this prayer, just

say it that the words really don't matter. What matters

You have to have the right attitude. And the right

attitude is you must be humble. You must humble yourself

before God. God is God, and.

You're not.

And you need to put away pride and arrogance and

say this just in your heart. Dear God, Dear Jesus Christ,

thank you for the Christmas gift of yourself. Thank you

that you love me so much came to die for me.

I don't understand it all, but today I'm saying yes

to you. I receive the Christmas gift of Jesus, and

I want my roots to go deep into your love.

And I'm asking you to give me my true identity.

Not what everybody else has told me I am, but

Dear God, you made me.

Help me to see what you made me to be.

Give me my true.

Identity, Give me a new ability I can't change on

my own. I need your power in my life and

I want to have this new community. I don't want

to go through life without the support and foundation you've prepared.

And I'm humbly asking for a new destiny that one

day you will accept me into your place in heaven,

not because I deserve it, because I don't. I have

received your son and your Savior, and I pray this

prayer humbly saying I want to learn to love you

and trust you in the days ahead. In your name,

I asked this, Amen, Hi, everybody, this is Pastor Rick.

I would like to thank you. Thank you for being

a part of our Daily Hope family. I don't get

to say that often enough, but your generosity is helping

us share the hope of Jesus with people here at

home and literally all around the world, even in places

where it's difficult and even dangerous to get the good news.

You know, I recently heard from a woman named Eunice

in Cameroon. Cameroon is a country in Central Africa, and

she wrote to me. She said, Pastor Rick, I lost

both my son and my daughter in the war, and

now I'm raising four grandchildren on my own. I was

overwhelmed with grief. But then she says, but through the

Daily Hope devotionals, I have found strength and comfort.

And peace in God's word. So thank you for helping

me hold on to hope. Wow. That's powerful.

That's powerful, and that happened because your giving is helping

Eunus find the strength to carry on, to raise her grandchildren,

and to keep trusting God even through the deep loss

of her kids. Now, right now, I want to tell

you about this because we have a special opportunity. There's

some generous friends who have offered a matching grant that

will double your gift. What that means is whatever you

give will be doubled. Okay, they'll match it. That means

whatever you give today will go twice as far to

reach even more people with God's word. So can I

ask you a favor. I want to encourage you and

give your best gift you can today. But together, let's

keep bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to people like

Unus and to the billions of other people who still

need to hear. There are still people who've never heard.

The name of Jesus.

We want to keep expanding to get the message to

the whole world, and I am so grateful.

That we are in this mission together. God bless you.

When you give a gift today, your gift will be

doubled by the matching grant up to one hundred thousand dollars,

and will send you the purpose driven Christmas to say thanks.

Wh