This sermon emphasizes the greatest gift of God given to us at Christmas, which is Jesus Christ, born out of love. It highlights the importance of focusing on Jesus as the ultimate gift, rather than worldly possessions or comparisons with others. The message calls for surrendering our will to God, just like Francis Ridley Havergal did, and reflects on the significance of responding to the gift of Jesus with a commitment to live for Him. The sermon also draws parallels from the story of Moses and the need to trust in God's provision and presence, rather than worldly wealth or possessions.

So, the greatest gift of God is given to us at Christmas. 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. Look at this, the greatest gift which is born of love, Christ. See we think of everything else except Christ. But we should be very careful that we shouldn't go so purblind or have such bad blinkers or tunnel vision that we can only see the world and the gleaming things. And when you look at some of these things you say, hey, my car doesn't look that good, I need a new car. Or you may say, oh my clothes, I need something new. Or I don't have that, oh look at the neighbors, they have got this, they have got the other thing, oh they come out with, you know, flashing hundred dollar bills and I don't have that. No, that's all because our focus is wrong. We are not focusing on Jesus, the greatest gift. You know, I had a neighbor of mine where I was growing up as a boy, back in India. And this neighbor's husband was an attorney. In England they would call him a barrister at law. When she went to visit the king and the queen, George the sixth, she took a bag of gold. She said, I can't go empty to see the queen and the king. So she took a bag of gold. So did the wise men to the Lord Jesus, of course. But I think there's something far greater than gold. You know what that is? Your will. Take my will and make it thine. It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is your own. It shall be your royal throne. I stood by the grave of Francis Ridley Haverhill, who wrote that hymn. And it was not a well-kept grave, it was an ill-kept grave in England. And as I stood with bowed head, what consecration? And Francis said, even my thoughts are according to the will of God. She just wanted to live for Jesus. So folks, take my will. So when we come to the greatest gift of all, the natural response is, what shall I do for this savior? What shall I do? Suppose somebody says, hey, I've got a lovely present for you. Here's this latest Cadillac and you can have it all, except the keys. Would that make any sense? You can have it all, except the keys. Sometimes we are just like that. I will run my life, I will do my thing, but I'll keep my own will and be as stubborn as a mule. But you can have all the rest. What's the good of that? No good at all. Now, my dear people, so the response to this greatest gift of all. You know, Moses was given that tremendous assignment, go and deliver my people from their bondage. Oh, if you are asking for assignments from God, there are so many I can think of right now. One of those very badly done assignments where Christians have failed is that they got the oil from the Middle East, but they didn't give Jesus. I won't say Christians got the oil. Well, that's natural resources over which nations have fought down through history. So that's not just something which belongs to the Middle East only. That has been there everywhere, whatever it is. The fact that we did not take the word of God to the Middle East. We said these are Bedouins. These are wandering camel drivers. Let them do their thing while I get their oil. We didn't think of their souls. With the result that these camel drivers and tenders are now putting the gun to the head of practically all nations and saying by so doing we're all going to be in heaven. Why did we fail so badly? When Moses was given the assignment, it was a huge assignment. After 400 years of slavery, here was God saying go get my people out. And when God sent Moses, did God give him a pile of money to do the job? Did God give him guns? Did God give him armies and armor? No. So Moses said, well, they may not believe me. What am I to tell them? They're certainly going to ask when I say this is the assignment which I have been given. They're certainly going to ask, but who has authorized you? Who sent you? What's all this big talk of yours? What have you got behind you? How much money did you bring along? You know, that's the first thing we think of these days. How much money? And after all, money is a pretty cheap thing. Money is a thing which cannot buy the most precious things which last through eternity. Love. Money never wins, buys love. Never, never buys love. Money never brings or buys peace. Never. Where there's money, you can be sure there's going to be some trouble. So we hear of prenuptial agreements. How sad. Here's a girl who is giving her whole life to be your partner, and you think of what money she brings. What happens if we decide to go our several ways, drift apart? What happens? How much money does she take away from my pocket? So you're marrying a thief. So you need to make sure that the thief does not get away. Oh, it's terrible. How many people in industry, sitting in the beer joints alone, their wives having left them, and child support taking most of their earnings. How sad. Now, what did Moses say? The third chapter of Exodus and 14th verse. And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said, thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, I am has sent me unto you. As nobody who can say I am, because if you think of some years ago, you were not there. If you think of a few years ahead, you will not be there. So who can say I am? It's the good Lord who says, I am. I am. How wonderful to have the I am with you. I am. Don't forget, I am with you. You're all worried and troubled, but you're forgetting that I am. I am with you. Think of that. When we see an empty wallet or purse, our heart sinks into our shoes. Say, hey, how can I make it? So it's all money focus. If I have the money, I'm all right. If I don't have the money, my spirit sink. Did Moses get the money from God? No. I am with you. So go right ahead and accomplish your mission. I am with you. See, as we go into this new year now, if God permits us to enter the new year, all the wealth that we can take and all the real wealth which matters is to be full of Jesus, full of Jesus, armed for any situation. Can you foresee the situations? Can you say what is ahead? No. Do you need to worry about what is ahead? No. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. So I am with you. Now, you know, in the third chapter of Acts, when Peter and John were going up into the temple and this beggar sitting around asked for alms, third chapter of Acts, all he wanted was a few pennies, few pennies. And what did Peter say? Silver and gold between us, we have not a penny on us. Silver and gold have I none. But that which such as I have, give I you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And here was a man lame from his mother's womb, who had to be carried every day. They had to carry him and put him, dump him there. Say, this is a fine place to beg, fellow. This is where all the people go into the temple. So this is a nice place to get your bowl full of pennies. Silver and gold have I none. That which I have. See, we must not forget that. See, people are talking money all the time. They're talking money. If the family gathers, it's talk of money. It's talk of things. It's talk of possessions. But nobody says, hey, I've got the greatest treasure of all. I have Jesus. Nobody says that. All a bunch of beggars talking about their pennies. That's all they are. That's all their focus. Their bowl are full of pennies. That's all they're thinking of. And all the shift in population around the world today, people going into the places where jobs are to be found and jobs get you more money, highly paid jobs. And so this terrific shift in population in the world today. All right. So it's producing a lot of beggars with a beggarly mentality. It's not what I have. I give to America what I have. I'll give to Washington. No, it's what shall I get? Can't you give me a penny? You gentlemen, you want to pray. All right. Give me a penny as you walk. Hey, fellow, we don't have a penny between us. But such as I have, give I you in the name of Jesus. Rise up and walk. A man stood before me strong and tall. I didn't know the man. And he said to me, your dad prayed for me. I used to beg. I used to drag myself along the street and your dad prayed for me. And God made me stand. Isn't that wonderful? What I have, give I you. So let's be careful. The greatest gift of all, last of all, we think of Mary. Second chapter of Luke and the 19th verse. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Look at this. She was trying to make it, get it in, ponder. I wonder what you're pondering these days. You know, pondering, thinking deeply, what is it that really grips your soul, gets you moving, gets you worried, gets you excited? What is it that you're pondering? Now, when people knock at your door at midnight or past midnight and say, hey, we've come to see this baby, the angels told us. Here is this maiden sitting in a manger. She can look upon her miserable lot and say, this is all I can give my baby. There's nothing that I can really give my baby. Not even the usual coziness of a home or a beautiful crib. No, no, no, no. Any such thought was banished by the angels. Words of the shepherds. Hey, who are you and what are you knocking at this manger so late in the night? Oh, we said, we can't wait another moment after the angels told us of the greatest gift. We couldn't wait another moment. We had to come. Where is he? Where's the babe wrapped in swaddling bands? Finding a manger in a crowded town and a baby in the middle of the night. Was it a well-illumined place? Were there sideboards there? What kind of seeking was that mean? Hearts that were seeking. And then Mary, could she forget? Was it her discomfort she was thinking about? Was it her deprivations that she was thinking about? Now, I have Jesus. She pondered. She fed her soul upon Jesus. Shall we do that? I don't know. In Germany, I was told it's the goose for lunch on Christmas Day. No, there were a lot of Canadian geese around yesterday. But I know none of you would think of taking one of them home. But goose, guns, they call it in Dutch. You see? But now, let us focus on Jesus. Let us pray. Loving Father, what a gift. What a Savior. What a Redeemer. Oh, what a Savior. Oh, teach us to ponder. Teach us to give you the keys to our will, to our lives. Father, let's not go around as beggars with begging bowls. What shall I get? What shall I get? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? Oh, my Father, as we enter an unknown territory, a new year, we ask that we might enter with the great I Am in Jesus' holy name. Amen.