Sermon Central
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The Free Gift
Contributed by Timothy Proctor Sr. D. Min on Jul 13, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: God has given us his very best, and it didn't cost you a thing, So why don't you try doing the same thing, and give your very best when it's time to.
“The FREE Gift”
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Introduction:
We’re living in a day and time when one frequently receives a card in the mail, or hear a message on the radio or a commercial on the television advertising “something for nothing”. In other words, it suppose to be free, upon closer examination of this offer one usually finds out that it just a gimmick, it’s to real to be true, only to find out that it is just a fraud. This is to get you to purchase something else with a hidden costs. And then you have some “offers that you just can’t refuse” it might be something like this:
* A FREE TRIP (Doesn’t include airfare, hotel, food, rental car or anything).
* A FREE CAR (If your name is chosen out of 1 million people + Tax., Title, License, and get it Registered).
* A FREE DINNER (For a family of 6 or more, the catch is, your meal is the only one free. You still have to pay the taxes on that meal, get to the place, etc).
* A FREE SHOPPING SPRING with 50% to 75 % OFF of everything (Just to get in the store, only to find out they already marked up the prices 50 to 75% more). Let me tell you, nobody really want to give you anything for free.
But I want to talk to you this morning about an offer that you just can’t refuse, or better yet, you mustn’t refuse. This is a free gift that is actually free, and you couldn’t pay for it if you had the money. It’s already been paid for by the precious blood of the Lamb, and it’s reserved just for you. This will be the only Free gift that you would ever get.
1. THE PREREQUISITE OF THE GIFT: “… God so loved the world…”
A. “God gave us a gift” (Jesus, His Son); He paid it all (He died on Calvary); all because He loves us.
B. “God commended His love for us…” - Romans 5:8 say - (But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us).
C. “He loved us” - Ephesians 2:4 say - (But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,)
D. “Not that we loved God, but He loved us” - 1 John 4:10 say - (Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins). Propitiation means – (the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing)
2. THE PRECIOUSNESS OF THE GIFT: “that He gave His only begotten Son…”
A. God gave us His most precious commodity, and it was His Son!
* Romans 8:32 say - (He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things)?
* 1 John 4:9 say - (In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him).
B. God knew what was going to happen to His Son, but He gave Him up anyway: Rejection, Beating, Mocked, Scourged, Denied, Betrayed, and Crucified, and He still was willing to give Him up.
C. God knew He would have to turn His back on His Son, but He still gave Him away. The Bible said in 2 Corinthians 5:21 - (For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him).
3. THE PERSONALIZATION OF THE GIFT “that whosoever believeth in Him…” This mean that the gift was for any and everyone that would except it.
A. “Whosoever” mean - who ever, it’s in an emphatic form, and it’s used 179 times in the Bible which means the same thing over and over, every time it’s spoken. And it “absolutely, positively, unconditionally, is for Anyone, that would except it! No matter who you are, the sinners that kills, murders, raps, lies, smoke, drink, do drugs, prostitute, anybody).
* “That only, if you believeth….”
B. “Believeth” mean – (to have faith [in], on Him, (Jesus Christ)
* Trust + Nothing = Salvation
a) Acts 16:31 say – (And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house). “Believe = saved”
* No Faith + Baptism, Church, = Works, no!
a) You say, “I believe in God”, so what, the Devil does too!
b) You say, “I’ve already been baptized, and I belong to a church, so what. The devil come to church and you can go down in the water a sinner and come back up the same way.
