23-1217a - Gifts From God, Part 1, Mike Mathis
Bible Readers: Kevin Woosley and Roger Raines

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Gifts From God, Part 1

Transcript (0:03 - 27:52)

Scripture Readings

1st Reader: Kevin Woosley
Matthew 7:7-11,

(0:03) For the first scripture reading, it will be out of the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 7 through 11.

(0:12) That’s Matthew 7, verses 7 through 11. (0:18) Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. (0:25) For everyone who asks, receives. And he who seeks, finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. (0:33) For what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (0:41) Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? (0:47) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, (0:52) how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask him? (0:53)

2nd Reader: Roger Raines
James 1:5,

(0:58) Good morning. The second scripture reading is from the book of James, chapter 1, verse 5. (1:11) James 1, verse 5. (1:14) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach. (1:26) And it will be given to him. (1:29) Let’s conclude this reading. (1:30)

Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:35) Good morning, everyone. (1:38) My lesson today is gifts from God. (1:46) And I want to thank Kevin and Roger for their reading the scriptures.

(1:56) But we want to consider gifts from God. (2:01) Now, we cannot enumerate all the gifts that we receive, but we’re going to look at gifts from God. (2:16) You know, it’s at this time of the year that there are expectations of receiving Christmas presents.

(2:26) And in the world of religion, people celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Christ. (2:37) From the Bible, it doesn’t specify the month or the day Jesus was born. (2:46) But we are revealed from the Word of God that Jesus was born.

(2:54) And we don’t know exactly when he was born. (3:04) But yet, some people will say, well, what is wrong with celebrating his birthday, and especially, we say, December the 25th? (3:19) Well, that could have been July 25th. (3:23) But we could be wrong.

(3:26) We could be very wrong, since we’re not told. (3:31) But God gives us gifts. (3:35) And when Jesus was born, he is our gift from him.

(3:41) He is our gift. (3:44) But we notice that they take from reading about the birth of Christ, or near the birth of Christ, it was sometime after the wise men. (4:03) We don’t know how many wise men it was.

(4:09) But they seem to think that it was three, probably based upon the number of gifts that were brought. (4:24) Goldfrankincense and myrrh. (4:26) It mentions three gifts.

(4:29) It could be just two, or it could have been four or five. (4:34) Who knows? (4:36) But we sometimes receive these gifts in and of themselves. (4:48) It’s not wrong to exchange gifts, even at this time.

(4:54) But we ought to have a mind as God, because he gives us, all the time, he gives us gifts. (5:05) And even this very moment, he is giving us the gift of the breath of life. (5:12) And we should ponder that.

(5:17) Now there are gifts that are to be used and enjoyed. (5:24) There are gifts that just are for a little while. (5:29) And there are spiritual gifts.

(5:35) And we’re going to look at these three. (5:41) First of all, gifts that are given to us are to be used and enjoyed. (5:54) When I was staying with my sister and brother-in-law, when I arrived in Ohio, (6:06) after my mother had passed, found out that someone bought her a pan, like a roaster.

(6:24) She put that pan in the closet. (6:32) And it was there. (6:34) And it seemed like there was another article that was brought out (6:40) that she put back in the closet and didn’t use it.

(6:47) But she could have used that pan. (6:51) It was still in the plastic rack. (6:54) She hadn’t removed the wrapper from it.

(6:57) She just put it in the closet and there it was, until she got it out. (7:03) But there are gifts that we receive that are to be used and enjoyed. (7:13) In Ecclesiastes 3, 13, we have this, that it says, (7:22) And also that every man should eat and enjoy the good of all his labor.

(7:30) It is the gift of God. (7:33) Now before someone says labor, and labor means work, (7:41) let’s look at if it’s a farmer that has worked, he’s tilled the ground, (7:49) he has fertilized and worked that ground, he has sown his seed. (7:59) You know what comes next? (8:02) It has to grow.

(8:05) The seed has to germinate. (8:06) It has to grow. (8:09) He’s not making it grow.

(8:12) God is. (8:16) And it is the gift of God because it does come from the ground. (8:23) And later if it grows, what if they just drive it up? (8:28) And what if locusts or grasshoppers or whatever comes, such force, (8:38) that it eats up that crop? (8:44) It is the gift of God.

(8:48) In Ecclesiastes 5 and 19, (8:54) As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, (9:01) and given power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice, (9:09) this is the gift of God. (9:13) Notice that the power is given. (9:21) We receive the power and this power is given to us from God.

(9:29) He says according to this, the riches and wealth are given from God. (9:42) The second is the gift of God. (9:49) You shall remember God through these gifts.

(9:54) Deuteronomy 8.18 says, (9:58) But you shall remember the Lord your God, (10:04) for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, (10:08) that He may establish His covenant, (10:12) which He swore to your fathers as it is this day. (10:17) Moses was speaking to the children of Israel (10:20) just before they would cross over into the Promised Land. (10:32) And he told them, (10:35) You need to remember God, (10:38) for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.

(10:44) And so these things are gifts from God. (10:51) Now let’s turn in our Bibles, if you will, to Matthew 6. (11:00) We’re going to begin with verse 25. (11:10) Jesus is giving the Sermon on the Mount.

(11:16) He says, (11:17) Therefore I say unto you, (11:20) take no thought for your life, (11:23) what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, (11:27) nor yet for your body, (11:35) or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, (11:41) what ye shall put on. (11:44) Is not the flesh more than meat or the body? (11:52) Behold the bowels of the earth, (11:55) for they shall not, (11:57) neither do they reap nor gather in the barns, (12:02) yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. (12:06) Are ye not much better than they? (12:10) Which of you, by taking thought, (12:13) can add one cubit unto his stature? (12:18) And why take ye thought for rain? (12:22) Consider the lilies of the field, (12:24) how they grow.

(12:27) They torment, neither do they spend. (12:31) Yet I say unto you, (12:33) that even Solomon in all his glory (12:35) was not arrayed like one of these. (12:40) Therefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, (12:46) which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, (12:52) shall he not much more clothe you, (12:56) O ye of little faith? (13:00) Therefore take no thought, saying, (13:04) What shall we eat? (13:05) Or what shall we drink? (13:08) Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? (13:11) For after these things do the Gentiles seek.

(13:16) For your Heavenly Father knoweth (13:19) that ye have need of all these things. (13:23) But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (13:29) and all these things shall be added unto you. (13:34) Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, (13:37) for tomorrow, (13:38) for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself, (13:43) sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

(13:50) We’re talking now about things that can last a little bit, (13:57) for a little while, (13:59) or clothing, or food, (14:04) and what to drink. (14:07) And we’re not to be too concerned about these. (14:14) I know one time my late wife said to me, (14:20) I don’t have anything to wear.

(14:24) And there was a closet full of clothes of hers. (14:29) I looked at her and said, (14:32) You don’t have any clothes to wear? (14:39) But it’s when we get to the point where we may wonder, (14:47) How am I going to get new clothes? (14:49) Or how am I going to get more food and drink? (14:56) But God knows that we need these things, (14:59) and He provides them. (15:02) And He tells us to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

(15:08) We need to seek the kingdom, (15:12) and the kingdom is the church. (15:17) And the church is the kingdom here on this earth. (15:22) Now we’ll have the eternal kingdom in heaven, (15:28) but we’ve got the kingdom of God here on earth.

(15:33) We should seek it, and seek it first. (15:37) And seek His righteousness. (15:40) And God, Jesus says, (15:44) And all these things shall be added unto you.

(15:48) So we don’t need to be so concerned about what’s going to happen. (15:56) He says, Take no thought for tomorrow. (16:01) That doesn’t mean that we don’t take plans, (16:05) and make plans for the future.

(16:13) But what He’s talking about, (16:16) well, what’s going to happen tomorrow? (16:18) What’s going to be done? (16:20) We just don’t know. (16:22) And so we need to be thinking about it now, today. (16:29) God’s granted us this day, (16:31) and we ought to be thankful for it.

(16:33) He’s given it to us. (16:36) So in place of worrying about all these things, (16:43) and worrying about what may happen tomorrow, (16:50) Jesus said in Matthew 7, beginning in verse 7, (16:58) Ask, and it shall be given you. (17:03) Seek, and you shall find.

(17:06) Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (17:10) You know, we need to seek His help. (17:16) If He knows what is going to happen, (17:21) He’s got the future in His hands.

(17:24) And we need to seek Him, and ask Him. (17:30) That can be through prayer. (17:33) It can also be through efforts that we make.

(17:38) But thinking of prayer, we ask Him. (17:43) Sometimes people will ask, (17:47) well, I asked today, (17:51) but I haven’t received what I asked for. (17:56) What did I ask for? (17:59) Maybe what I asked for isn’t what I really need.

(18:05) And perhaps what I asked for, (18:07) God is delaying giving it to me until later. (18:14) But we need to be persistent, (18:19) and that’s enough. (18:20) We still keep the pressure, (18:23) and we still keep asking.

(18:26) And He said, it shall be opened. (18:30) He says, for everyone that seeketh, receive it. (18:37) For everyone that asketh, receive it.

(18:41) He that seeketh, findeth. (18:43) To Him that knocketh, it shall be opened. (18:46) Oh, what man has found you? (18:50) Whom, if his son ask bread, will he give a stone? (18:54) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? (19:00) If ye then, beneath evil, (19:03) know how to give good gifts unto your children, (19:07) how much more shall your Father which is in heaven (19:11) give good things to them that ask Him? (19:16) You know, it says there in chapter 6, (19:24) verse 33, or verse 32, (19:31) For your heavenly Father knows (19:34) that you have need of these things.

(19:38) Someone asks, well, if He already knows, (19:42) why do we ask Him? (19:46) Why are we told to ask? (19:51) There are some that are so independent, (19:56) I don’t need anybody, (20:00) and that includes God, (20:02) may be the attitude. (20:08) They don’t realize (20:11) that they’re dependent on God (20:14) from the very air they breathe. (20:20) Yes.

(20:21) We are to seek Him. (20:23) If we seek Him, (20:25) we seek the kingdom, (20:27) and we ask Him, (20:29) He’ll give it to us. (20:32) He’s not cruel.

(20:35) What man then (20:39) would be so cruel (20:41) that if his son asked for bread, (20:45) He’d just give him a stone. (20:48) Or if he asked for fish, (20:50) He’ll just hand him a serpent. (20:55) There might be a poisonous one at that.

(20:58) But who would do that? (21:00) It would really be a mean man (21:02) to do something like that. (21:05) But it’s showing, well, if you’re you, (21:09) then being able to know (21:12) how to give good gifts unto your children, (21:17) how much more shall your Father, (21:19) which is in heaven, (21:20) give good things to them that ask Him. (21:23) So if we ask, (21:25) we seek, (21:26) then seek Him, (21:30) we’ll receive, (21:32) we’ll find.

(21:33) If we ask Him, we’ll receive. (21:38) But then there is (21:41) rain and fruitful seasons. (21:45) In Genesis 8, 22, (21:48) this is after Noah (21:50) comes out of the ark (21:55) when the dry ground appears, (21:59) and he’s told to leave the ark.

(22:04) He comes out of the ark, (22:07) and the Lord promised that the world (22:11) would not be destroyed by water. (22:16) Says, verse 22, (22:19) while the earth remains, (22:22) see time and harvest, (22:25) cold and heat, (22:27) winter and summer, (22:29) and day and night (22:31) shall not cease. (22:33) In other words, we’ll continue (22:35) having these seasons (22:37) one season will pass (22:40) into another.

(22:45) And we have the raining season. (22:48) We get rain (22:49) as we’ve been getting (22:52) this morning. (22:54) Rain.

(22:56) Sometimes we won’t get rain. (23:00) But still. (23:03) And sometimes it does not last.

(23:10) But then (23:10) in Acts 14, 17, (23:17) it is said, (23:19) he did not leave himself (23:21) without witness, (23:24) and that he did good, (23:27) gave us rain from heaven (23:29) and fruitful seasons, (23:33) filling our hearts (23:34) with food and gladness. (23:39) This is Paul speaking (23:40) to the people that he was speaking to. (23:44) That he tells them, you know, (23:48) this is God.

(23:51) And he didn’t leave himself without witness, (23:57) gave us rain from heaven (23:58) and fruitful seasons, (24:01) and our hearts filled (24:03) with food and gladness. (24:10) And then with them. (24:13) Now, (24:16) wisdom is something (24:17) that we need to get (24:20) if we get it (24:22) and we keep God (24:26) in our minds (24:30) and our worship.

(24:33) Because it is (24:35) wisdom that we need. (24:38) And in Proverbs 1, (24:46) starting with the first verse, (24:47) it says, (24:48) The father of Solomon, (24:50) the son of the king of Israel, (24:54) to know wisdom and instruction, (24:57) to perceive the words of understanding, (25:02) to receive instruction of wisdom, (25:08) justice and judgment and equity. (25:12) And then in verse 7 (25:15) of Proverbs 1, (25:18) The fear of the Lord (25:20) is the beginning of knowledge, (25:24) but fools despise wisdom (25:27) and instruction.

(25:30) Then James 1 verse 5 (25:33) says that if any man lacks wisdom, (25:37) let him ask of God (25:39) and he will receive. (25:42) And he’ll do it gladly (25:44) and without repurchase. (25:48) And then (25:50) what we need to learn (25:53) is that there is the wisdom of God (25:55) and there is the worldly wisdom.

(26:00) There is a wisdom that the world has (26:04) and that denies God. (26:09) And (26:11) we’re all saying, (26:13) we’re all saying, (26:14) where is the wise of this world (26:17) and these rulers (26:20) that there is a wisdom (26:23) that sure they have wisdom. (26:29) Because they deny when it comes down to it, (26:33) they deny God (26:34) and this wisdom becomes void.

(26:40) And the wisdom (26:41) that they should have (26:43) is not there. (26:47) So they find that wisdom (26:49) can be something there. (26:54) But then we may not have it.

(26:58) And if we don’t have it (27:00) and we seek it, (27:02) then let us ask God for it (27:04) and he’ll give it to us. (27:05) This will be one of the gifts from God (27:10) and that is wisdom. (27:13) I’m going to offer the invitation.

(27:17) We’re going to have more tonight (27:20) on gifts from God (27:22) and we’re going to see some gifts (27:27) and those spiritual gifts. (27:30) And we’re going to, (27:31) if you want to hear, (27:32) come back tonight (27:34) and listen for the second part (27:38) of gifts from God. (27:45) And if you will, (27:47) if you need to come to God, (27:49) why not come to him now (27:51) while we stand and sing. (27:52)