Christmas Guidance from the Bible: Gift-giving

I. Introduction
A. Christians are not called to just go along with what everyone else is doing.“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17) “Whatever you do...do everything to bring glory to God.” (1Cor.10:31)
1. So, if we’re going to participate in the whole gift-giving dynamic of Christmas, how can we buy gifts in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ?
B. Our advent series is on Christmas guidance from the Bible: Worship was first because it’s most important. Today we talk about gift-giving.
II. Gift-giving in the Bible
A. The original Christmas, of course, includes gift-giving in the story of the magi in Matthew 2:11 “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
B. The Bible talks a lot about giving, most of it very positive.
C. There are even a few passages in the Bible which talk about the kind of celebrative giving we know at Christmas time.
1. E.g. Rev.11:10 “Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them & make merry & exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”
a. The context is the killing of God’s two prophets by the beast which rises from the bottomless pit. The people of the earth are so happy these two are gone that they celebrate by exchanging gifts with each other.
2. But don’t be quick to conclude that the exchanging of gifts is an inherently evil thing. There are two similar passages in which gift-giving is a good thing.
a. One is Nehemiah 8, after the walls of Jerusalem had been completed, when Ezra the priest read the word of God to the people and encouraged them in it. They celebrated by eating and drinking and sending gifts to one another.
b. And then there’s Esther 9:17–22, where the Jews annually celebrate God’s deliverance through Esther by sending gifts to one another.
3. So we see there’s a pattern in the Bible of people celebrating a happy occasion by sending one another gifts.
III. So, what does the Bible say about giving that might provide guidance for us as we go through the annual process of purchasing and giving gifts for certain people in our lives?
A. Gift-giving is urged in Bible but never as a command.
1. We see this clearly in Paul’s plea to the Corinthians to donate to the collection for the Jerusalem church in 2Cor.8-9.
a. He didn’t command them (2Cor.8:8) but He did lay it on thick.
(1) 2Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
(2) 8:24 We’ve been bragging about how generous and loving you are. So now prove us right by giving generously to this offering.
b. It was a matter of Christian freedom, but it was a very good thing to do.
2. So, let me say something to the Ebenezer Scrooges in our midst, those who resent the expectations they feel are placed upon them by others to give at Christmas.
a. Granted, giving Christmas gifts certainly does fall into the category of Christian freedom. There is no command.
b. And feeling pressure is never a reason to do something.
c. BUT feeling pressure is also never a reason to NOT do something.
d. I want to remind you that it is not permissible to do what you want as a Christian. You must do what you believe God wants you to do, including loving your neighbor as yourself.
e. It’s true that we aren’t called to walk in the way of other people’s expectations, but we are called to walk in the way of God’s expectations, in the path of good works He has prepared for us to do. (Eph.2:10)
f. I mean, why NOT give? Why NOT take advantage of the opportunity to love? The Bible says we should do that (Gal.6:10).
3. Might I remind you of Acts 20:35, where Paul says, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”?

a. What’s so blessed about giving? It’s only blessed if you actually love. Love means to have a zeal for someone else’s welfare. If you have that zeal for someone else’s welfare, you are blessed when someone you love is blessed, because you’re seeing your ambition come true.
B. Give gifts with a purpose.
1. Giving gifts is something we often do without thinking. There should be a purpose.
2. The Bible talks a lot about the purposes of a gift. It talks about gifts to meet needs, gifts to show love, gifts to win hearts (Prov.18:16; 19:6).
3. It talks about gifts to heal relationships: “A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper.” (Proverbs 21:14, The Message)
4. It even talks about gifts to create thanksgiving to God.
a. 2Corinthians 9:12 “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”
5. Don’t just give. Give with a purpose. Say, “I love you” or “I appreciate you.”
6. To the married: when you give to your spouse, send a signal of appreciation and affection.
a. A few weeks ago I told you the story of an article I read written by RC Sproul Jr. after he’s lost his wife entitled something like “I wish I held her hand more.” Like all of us would, he had regrets that he hadn’t communicated more love to his wife while she was alive.
b. Think about losing your spouse and the things you’ll regret. Give in light of the fact that this may be the last gift you ever give to her/him.
C. Love is the goal, not gift-giving.
1. It’s very easy to get caught up in the materialism of gift-giving and the temptation to spend extravagantly, and miss out on the idea that what the person really needs is love.
2. So, what’s important when buying presents? It’s love. The issue of love isn’t what is meaningful to you but to the other person: thinking about the other person, not yourself.
3. Thoughtfulness is the key. A gift should be tailored to the person and to the resources God has provided for you to give.
4. You can give gifts of service, gifts of help, gifts of company.
5. One of the best gifts I ever gave was in Junior High. Everyone in the neighborhood had a fire place. We had woods behind our house but the folks across the street didn’t. I was close to one of those neighbors. I mowed their lawn and babysat their kids. They took me sailing. So, I wandered through the woods and collected an enormous batch of kindling. They were so touched they wept.
6. Sometimes we don’t realize the power of a thoughtful gift.
D. All gift-giving is a response to God the gift-giver.
1. James 1:17 “Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven.”
2. John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave.
3. 2Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
4. We imitate God when we give. “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matt.10:8)
5. Give Christmas gifts in light of THE Christmas gift given to us when God gave us His Son.
6. So worry about your own heart first. The giving God calls us to begins with His grace, which results in our worship, which then flows out to others. We see this pattern in the Macedonians in 2Corinthians 8:5, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
7. Paul urges giving from the heart and not hesitantly or grudgingly (2Cor.9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”)
8. So God wants us to give out of love, not out of pride, selfishness, or competition.
9. Christmas giving ought to be an outflow of a heart that delights in the gift of God.
10. Giving also requires having something to give. This means filling up your own tank first with joy in response to the gift of God in Christ.
IV. Conclusion
A. I really don’t want to put a burden on you. The Lord knows most of you don’t need that.
B. But I do want to give you a Biblical vision for gift-giving to the glory of God.
C. I’m not necessarily urging you to use more time in giving gifts. I am urging you to use more thought, more love more prayer and more worship.