RECEIVING GOD'S GIFT BY FAITH

YEAR 1 – FAITH - RECEIVING GOD’S GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

 three Boxes gift wrapped  - one with an old lunch in it, one that's empty, and the third is a beautiful box with a small stuffed animal in it and a note inside that says "You've opened the best gift."

Way back in September, we have been talking in Council Time about a BIG problem that every human being has – sin.  And we’ve talked about the problems sin brings, including the BIG one which is that sin separates us from God.

We spent some time looking at what God has done to solve sin’s awful problem – sending His only Son, Jesus, to make a swap with us – to take our sins on him, and to give us his goodness. 

We talked about repentance, what it means to be deeply sorry for our sins.  One way to look at this deep sorrow for sins is to be totally honest before God and to tell him that there is nothing in us that can earn his love. 

There’s one final piece that we need to know, and that how we get this wonderful gift from God.  It's the final piece and it is called faith. 

Take out the 3 Boxes and put them in front of you in a line.

Now the first thing we need to know about faith is going to be explained by these 3 boxes.

Let’s see, what can we tell about these boxes just by looking at them?

(have leftover lunch inside one - ewwww - this is gross!  Who would ever call this a gift?  Sometimes things look good on the outside, but they are icky on the inside.

Okay, let's open the second one (shake it, say - I don't hear anything) - open it up - Wow, this isn't a gift either - this box is just empty).  that's a big disappointment.

Maybe this third one is the real gift.  What do you think?  (Shake it - at least there's something INSIDE this one, right?) 

Open up the box - hey look at this!  My favorite (hug the stuffed animal and ham it up.  THIS is a real gift, right!  But look, there's a note.  (read note)  Yup - this was the best. 

Now what if we all agreed – box #1 and Box #2 were not worth it.  But when we looked at box #3 we thought - yes, this gift #3  really looks like the one that is worth it.  And then...we just left the gift here, and walked away?

Gifts are great, right?  But there’s something important about gifts, that, maybe I can show it best by having a volunteer come forward

(whisper to volunteer that whatever I do or say, he/she should not take the gift)

I am so happy that xx is here, and I have something wonderful for her  I know she’ll like it.  I want to gift it to her because I like her.  Am I right, xx, that you didn’t do anything to earn this gift?

Did you talk with me earlier and ask me for this gift?  Were you really, really good and therefore somehow earned this gift?

Okay, well, I am so happy to give you this gift

(try again –

Um, here, this is for you.  Clubbers, what is the problem?

She isn’t taking the gift!

What does she need to do?  Receive the gift.

(Give her the gift to open)

Clubbers, we just had a little illustration of what faith is.  God has offered you and me a wonderful, wonderful gift in Jesus.  He has offered to take away all your sins, to forgive you, to make you His child, to give you eternal life.

Faith is telling God you want this gift.  Faith isn’t something we do to impress God.  It’s merely putting out our hands, and receiving.

Open your Bibles to Ephesians 2:8-9

God offers this gift to you, no matter if you are young or old.  But receiving the gift is not automatic.  God calls you to receive it, to take it – and that’s called faith.