Pastor Dan Eddy
Romans 5:15-17
Gifts from under the tree
12-24-11
I.
Introduction –
15 But the gift is not like the
trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more
did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus
Christ, overflow to the many!
16 Again, the gift of God is not like
the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought
condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
17 For if, by the trespass of the one
man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive
God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in
life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Well, okay, that sounds
nice.
But it’s Christmas time
and I want to open up presents. Don’t you? Tonight Andrew is going to help me
open presents from under the tree. These are gifts from God.
II.
Gift #1…No Trespass sign/do not enter sign.
(Open up gift to reveal a “No Trespassing)
It’s a “No Trespassing”
sign, just what I always wanted.
This gift reminds us where
we’ve been so we don’t go there anymore.
When I was in 5th
grade…my neighbor Johnny and I used to spy on people in the neighborhood. We’d
peek into their windows, and keep files on people in the neighborhood. We were
trespassing. We were going where we did not have permission to go.
That is a great word to
describe sin. We go where God does not want us to go. We think thoughts God
does not want us to think. We speak word the Lord does not want us to speak,
and we do things that our Heavenly Father does not want us to do. It’s a natural part of who we are, but it’s
not what God desires for our lives. The reason we act this way is because
that’s the way Adam and Eve acted. They were created perfect but chose sin,
giving all humankind the sinful nature that has been passed down to you and me.
That’s what Paul meant in
Verse 15 (NIV 1984): “For if the many
died by the trespass of the one man,” that would be Adam, “how much more did God’s
grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,
overflow to the many!
Over thirty-five years
later I can not change the fact that I trespassed on others’ property. I
remember one night Johnny and I were spying on people, and I was running
through a back yard, it was pitch black, and I said, “Johnny, Johnny, where are you?” And bam…my forehead hit an iron
pole. Like in the cartoons I saw stars. But there was a gash in my head that
need about six stitches. I still have the mark in my head to this day.
But I was not arrested for
trespassing. My parents didn’t punish me. They could have but I was given
grace…the undeserved gift of forgiveness.
That’s what Jesus did. He
came to correct what we couldn’t. I can’t change the fact that I trespassed.
Neither can you for your trespasses, all your sins. But Christ can change it.
Thankfully, after that
incident Johnny and I stopped spying on neighbors. The scar in my head reminds
me of my trespasses.
But Jesus marks on His
head from the crown of thorns, along with nail marks in His hands and feet reminds
you and me that He did wipe away our trespasses.
God’s gift of His Word
reminds us of where not to go with sin, and where to go for the forgiveness of all your sins….to Jesus.
III.
Gift #2…Paint
Okay…let’s open another
gift. Let’s pick that one.
Sometimes the biggest
gifts come in the smallest packages. Have you ever notice that?
Some gifts can correct
what seems like an impossible situation. Have you ever done something where the
results of your mistakes seem to follow you wherever you go in life?
Verse 15 reminds of our
condition of sin. But verse 16 (NIV 1984) says, “Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s
sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift
followed many trespasses and brought justification.”
This verse brings out the
consequence of the Adam’s act, but also our sinful acts. God judged him and all
humankind to death. In other words, it’s
impossible to change the fact that we are all going to die someday, because of
our sins.
Now don’t you wish you
could get a Christmas gift that could change that fact? A pill, a cure. A gift that would allow you live forever,
never age, always feel good.
I mean take this graffiti
on this newsprint. How can we clean it up? It almost seems impossible.
Well a few strokes of
paint covering over the newsprint does what seems to be the impossible. It takes
away the filth and makes it clear.
Grace corrects what seems to
be an impossible problem. Grace wipes away the impossible results of our sins.
Grace wipes away death…so that when we breathe our last breath here…we go
to Heaven where at the End of time we do get the impossible: A new body that
never ages, never has pain, never faces death again. By faith in Christ, God
gives us the impossible: immortality.
I’ve been a
lay person more years sitting in the pews as you, than I have been preaching
behind a pulpit. Being on both sides, I’ve come to a realization everybody
should have to be a minister for a day or two and sit with people as they're
facing death, and discuss with them what
is ahead. Maybe you’ve done that.
I’ve seen that
as much as death is daunting…at the same time many at death’s doorstep who
believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior see it as a gift. They know
what is beyond it is more powerful and valuable than anything here. I learned
that very well this past year.
Jesus rising from the dead
three days after His crucifixion is proof of His Word when He said in John
11:25-26 ESV: “I am the resurrection and
the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
When Paul uses the word
gift in this text it is in the sense that what we are given is not deserved nor
earned. Grace is impossible for us to achieve. Instead Christ accomplished the
impossible by giving us immortality by faith alone in Him.
IV.
Gift #3…
Next gift. That one over
there.
Wow. It’s one share Green
Bay Packer stock.
If you haven’t heard
recently the team issued 250,000 shares at $250 a piece. So if you have one
stock in the Green Bay Packers you own a piece of an NFL team. How many people
can say that?
And that’s the idea behind
part of verse 17 (NIV 1984)…with this gift of grace you get to rule with Jesus
Christ because you have His righteousness. “those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of
righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
Reign in the original
Greek literally means to “act like a king.” In a way we have ownership with Jesus
in Heaven, just like this share says I own one piece of the Green Bay Packers. This
is a gift of promise you can rely on.
This piece of stock paper
looks impressive, doesn’t it? There’s just one
problem. If I try to take this certificate to get
into the owners’ meeting for the Green Bay Packers they will laugh at me and
turn me away at the door, because this
is a fake. I’m not kidding, It looks real…but a fake. This is not a
raised seal or on textured paper.
With this paper I can act
like an owner, but unless I have the real thing…I’m not an owner.
In life there are lots of
things that look like Christ but they are not. There are a lot of fake
teachings…out there…like “if I’m just a
good person I will make it to Heaven.” “If I just have faith in God, but
necessarily in Christ I will be saved. “
And these expressions
sound good; they seem real, but they’re fakes. The
world wants to use their righteousness to impress God or at least to impress humankind.
But the
believers in Jesus live true righteousness to reflect Christ living inside of
them.
Only Jesus makes grace
real. Only by faith can we truly act in His righteousness. Other good work may
look the same, but when we do them in Jesus’ name our acts are real to God.
Fake brings death forever
in a place I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy; real brings life in Heaven with
Jesus. Whose righteousness do you want? Yours or Jesus’?
Think of it this way: Adam
and Jesus are both men; they both look human but only one is the Savior. They
are polar opposites. Jesus makes us the opposite of sinful Adam so we can reign
in true righteousness with Him.
V.
Gift #4…Cross
One more gift. Let’s take
that one. (Pull out a cross.)
The cross reminds us that
the gift of grace is the gift of favor. Grace
is the biggest favor you will ever receive.
Luke 2:14 NIV 1984:
14 “Glory to God in the
highest,
and on earth peace to men (and women) on whom his favor rests.”
Jesus died on a tree…not a
Christmas tree, but on a tree stripped of life….to give us life….and
everlasting peace with Him in Heaven.
The angels responded with
a witness by spreading the good news. We use our gifts to tell others they,
too, can be favored by God.
Do you have the right
gift? Is Christ’s favor of grace on you?
Yesterday I received this
email from two different sources:
I close with the Christmas
message from God, our Heavenly Father:
I sent My Son to save you
and show the way to Me.
My Son was born to die for you on
I gave the very best I could, 'twas all I had to give.
I gave you Jesus from My Heart, that in yours He might live.
My Son was always "Yes" to Me, in thought and word and deed.
Jesus gave His Heart for you, and still He intercedes.
My people, now I ask you, "How will you respond?
Will you open your hearts to receive My Son, and follow Him here on?"
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that you might be brand new,
Yet to enter My Kingdom, you must receive it too!
So strengthen weary hands, and cleanse your hearts from sin.
I come to you this Christmas day, so we can begin again. Amen.