Pastor Mark Mikels - December 25, 20 1 6 “CHRISTMAS: A SEASON FOR GIVING" ‘We Give ... Ourselves In Service’ (Matthew 2:11; Exodus 30:22-30; 2 Cor. 2:1 5; Mark 1:10; John 20:22; 2 Timothy 1 :7) Intro ... On this Christmas Sunday, let’s take a quick look at what by now should be a most familiar Christmas Scripture ... MATTHEW 2:1 1 ... ~ “... they (the wise men) saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they ... presented him with gifts of GOLD and of INCENSE (frankincense) and of MYRRH . ” Two weeks ago, we saw what it might mean to bring a Gold-Level Gift’ to Christ. Last week we talked about Incense -Level Giving’. This morning on this Christmas Day, consider with me for just a few moments what ‘Myrrh-Level Giving’ might be. THE GIFT OF MYRRH ... Key Definition and Explanation: Myrrh: a sweet-smelling PERFUME used to make up the sacred OIL used to ANOINT everything in the Tabernacle and the PRIESTS before they entered into God’s PRESENCE . It communicated READINESS for SERVICE . (Exodus 30:22-30) Here’s exactly what God told Moses ... "Take the following fine spices: liquid myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia, and olive oil. Make them into a sacred anointing oil (and) use it to anoint (everything in the Tent of Meeting) (and) anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests . ” OUR GIFT OF MYRRH ... How do we bring this kind of ‘gift’ to Christ? Let me suggest what Our ‘Myrrh Level Gift Action ’ might involve. It involves ... “Offering ourselves in SERVICE to Christ’s CAUSE .’’ TODAY’S KEY QUESTIONS ... Are we QUALIFIED - Are we READY? So many born-again people stop short of ‘Offering themselves in Service to Christ’s Cause’ because they don’t feel qualified. They just don’t see themselves in the role of one of those Old Testament ‘Anointed Ones’. They think of their flaws and they fail to understand what God has done for them and in them. They forget what the Holy Spirit has been sent to provide for them. Obviously, if they don’t feel qualified, they will never feel ready. So here’s the Biblical Answer to those Key Questions ... TODAY’S KEY ANSWERS ... * Are we QUALIFIED ? ... YES , we are! “For we are to God the AROMA of CHRIST ...” (2 Corinthians 2:15) We SMELL just like JESUS - God declares us QUALIFIED to SERVE ! The same ANOINTING that came upon Him has come upon all those who BELONG to Him! Check out these Scriptures ... “And as Jesus was coming up out of the water ... he sow the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10) ‘‘And Jesus breathed on them and said ... ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.” (John 20:22) “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (self-determination).” (2 Timothy 1 :7) * Are we READY ? ... Will we bring this 1 gift ’? The answer to that question is PERSONAL and INDIVIDUAL . EACH of us must DECIDE for OURSELVES. Final Thot ... What better day than CHRISTMAS SUNDAY to OFFER ourselves in SERVICE to Christ’s CAUSE ! COMMITMENT TREE ORNAMENTS ... Take an ornament - sign your name and hang it on our Qonfife Commitment Tree’. Let’s see how impressive we can make it look! It’s a way to say “Count me in” ... “I offer myself in Service to Christ’s Cause.”