The Greatest Gift to God

And I do have my family here with me if you want to go ahead and stand just for a moment.

I have my wife, Chrissy, and then we have been blessed with six kids.

I have Emily and Ella, Aiden, Avery, Oliver and Olivia.

And so two E's, two A's and two O's just all worked out in that way.

But so thankful for God's blessing us with that.

And I'm also thankful that they're willing to serve with us as we head over to the country of Italy.

They want to serve the Lord with their lives as well, and we can serve together.

My history a little bit.

After graduating Bible college and getting married, my wife and I went to just north of Oklahoma City, a town called Edmond, Oklahoma, and went to a church there just to get mentored and to learn in the ministry.

And after being there for five years, God moved the pastor there away and the church called me to be the next pastor, then pastor there for the next 10 years.

And that's where we have been.

And working just in the area and helping other churches, other pastors, trying to be an encouragement to them as well as having the opportunity to teach a few Bible classes at Heartland Baptist Bible College.

And so really plugged in.

I loved what I was doing, where we were at, what God was doing in the church and in our lives.

And then we took a missions trip, and we took a missions trip over to Italy and visited our missionaries that we had there.

And through that time, God planted a seed in our hearts for the country of Italy.

Just seeing all of the darkness in the Catholic Church, seeing the idol worship that is there, seeing that there is no hope at all inside the Catholic Church.

And just seeing the people just opened our hearts and burdened our hearts for the people there of Italy.

And then God took me on a journey over this past year to be able just to say, not my will, Lord, but yours.

And being able to surrender everything that God had me doing.

I said, I'm doing good.

I'm serving the Lord.

I'm serving you.

But he guided and directed each piece.

He led me to surrender and then led us to the country of Italy.

And I, I'm so thankful that I have confidence here today.

Just as Paul had confidence, assuredly gathering that God had called for us to preach the gospel unto them.

And that's what God has called us to do, to preach the gospel to the Italian people.

God has led us to the northwestern area of the country of Italy, not northwestern, Northeastern.

Excuse me.

If you're familiar with Italy, it'd Be over by Venice, about north of Venice there.

And in that whole region there is no, far as I can tell, there is no outreach to the Italian people with the gospel.

There is a military work there, to the English speaking US military base in Aviano, and that's where friends of ours are serving there.

But there is no outreach to the Italian people.

And so God has called us to go into that area and reach the people of Italy.

And so that's who we are.

And now what we're endeavoring to do, we've been on deputation now for four months.

And God is blessing and I'm excited to see what God is going to do.

I'm going to go ahead and have.

The video, show the video, and then after the video, I'll explain a little bit more about the country.

Stunningly beautiful, vibrantly colorful, romantic, passionate Italy.

You hear about it and read about it on social media, you see it in the backdrop of movies, and many of you have even experienced it.

What comes to mind when you think of Italy?

The biblical significance of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum, Dark ages, the Renaissance, fast cars, high fashion, exquisite food.

All of these are true.

However, behind the inspiring scenes and rich cultural heritage, there is a great spiritual darkness.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Italy is a country with deep cultural connection to Christianity.

But sadly, much of the population is spiritually lost.

Catholicism, while historically dominant, has not led to the genuine relationship with Christ.

There are millions who need to hear the gospel and many who don't even know they need it.

Italy is home to some of the world's most magnificent churches and cathedrals.

Yet a deep spiritual void persists.

Many Italians attend church only on holidays or are simply indifferent to the message of Christ.

That is where our mission comes in.

And how shall they believe on him in whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher?

It was here in the city of Perugia that God first started working on our hearts about the great need in Italy.

Acts chapter 16 at the end of verse number 10 says, Assuredly gathering that the Lord had called for us to preach the gospel unto them.

God has called our family, the story family, to preach the gospel to the Italian people.

It took time for God to work on my heart because I was very Content where I was serving.

Nevertheless, as God continued to speak, I fully surrendered to the call God placed on our lives to reach the people of Italy.

Our mission is to evangelize the lost through tracts and Bible distributions throughout.

To equip the saints through preaching, discipleship and mentorship.

To establish local churches as God allows.

Our vision is to see lives transformed and communities revitalized through the power of the gospel.

As we step out in faith, we invite you to be part of what God is doing in Italy.

Whether it's through prayer, financial support, or even joining us for a short missions trip, you can make a difference.

Together, we can bring hope to those who are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives.

Please pray about how God wants you to be involved.

The fields truly are white for harvest and we are working to share the hope that only God through Jesus Christ can give us.

Together, we can make a profound impact in Italy.

Amen.

Well, out of 106 provinces in the country of Italy, 10 have a gospel preaching church.

10 out of 106.

That's statistics from the missionaries that are already there, the tacons, the maedas and others that are already there doing the work and have been there for many years.

And I'm very thankful of the ministry that they have.

But right now there's been missionaries in the past and even the Apostle Paul went to Rome.

But for this generation, there's not a lot giving the gospel in the country of Italy.

And so that's where God has called us to.

And I'd like for you to pray for us on the, on the back table, we have a prayer card, has a picture of my family on it and then some information on the back there.

But if you would take this prayer card and pray for us in three different ways.

One, pray.

Please pray for us as we travel across this country.

We're going to be traveling from one coast to the other coast this, this next year.

And listen, the, the amount of people that we see on the side of the road is just astronomical.

Everywhere.

Every time we get on the road, it's like we always see someone over there having problems.

Today on the way from just Bridgeport to here, I saw somebody over there hooking up a tow line from one truck to another truck and they were about ready to pull one away.

Listen, safety on the road is not guaranteed.

We need to pray and ask God for his protection.

And we'd ask you to pray for us in that way, pray for our vehicle and also pray that God would protect us from other vehicles and from the weather that we travel through.

And so please pray for us as we travel.

And then we also ask you pray for us as we are seeking support, monthly support so we can get to the country of Italy.

I cannot work in the country of Italy and so I can't take money there.

I have to get all my support from the States or I cannot be there.

And so we just asking that God would supply the support, the monthly support that we need to be able to not only live there but to also be able to start churches there.

And so to have ministry support as well as personal support.

And so just ask you to pray that God would supply that quickly so we can get to the field as soon as possible.

And then lastly I'd ask you to pray for the hearts of the Italian people.

Jesus puts it that the heart is like soil.

And the soil can be good soil or bad soil, hard soil, different kinds of soil that is there.

But we're praying that God would soften the soil of the hearts of the Italian people before we ever go.

All we can do is bring the seed.

That's our job and that's what we.

Are going to do.

And so we're praying and asking God to, to soften the soil of their hearts so that when we bring the seed, it's ready for the seed and that we can spread the news of the gospel and many can come to know Christ.

Churches can be started and God's work can go forward in the country of Italy.

So as you pray for us in those three ways, safety on the road, support quickly and being able to pray for the hearts of the Italian people.

And I greatly appreciate those prayers.

Well tonight why don't you go and.

Take your bibles tonight, turn to the book of Romans.

Book of Romans.

And I'm not going to get theologically deep tonight.

Tonight I want to do one thing.

I want to encourage you this Christmas.

Time, this, this time of the year right here, as we get to the.

You have many of you probably already have wrapped Christmas presents under your tree and if you don't yet, you're one of those that waits minute you're going.

To be wrapping Christmas presents this week.

And wrapping them up and doing all the corners and tape and bows and gift bags and you're putting them under the tree or, or giving them out to people.

You have gifts that you give to people.

And we know we reminded this time of year of Jesus Christ coming.

We reminding of the gift of God, his son, Jesus Christ, coming and being born in a manger.

No doubt you've heard of it already this year.

You've thought about that.

You're going to read the Christmas story maybe on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, whatever your tradition is, and you're reminded about the greatest gift God has given and that is his son, Jesus Christ, not just be born in a manger.

But be born so that he can.

Pay the penalty for our sin.

But because we are sinners and we need a savior and so we think about that this time of year and the gift that God has given.

Tonight, I want to shift your thinking.

Just for a moment and I want you to think about this.

What is the best gift I can give that will glorify God?

What is that?

Let's look at romans chapter number 12.

Like I said, you're probably already beating.

Me there and beating me to the punchline.

But we're going to, we're going to.

Just try to be an encouragement to you this evening.

Ephesians, chapter 12, verse number one says this, I beseech you therefore, brethren, brethren.

By the mercies of God, that ye.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, your life is the greatest gift you can give that will glorify God.

Let's pray and let's open up this word of God this evening.

Father, thank you for the opportunity we.

Have to open your word.

Thank you that you have given us.

Your word to speak to us, to edify us, to challenge us, and at times convict us.

Father, I pray as we look at your word tonight that it would not just be another check mark of I came to church.

But Father, it's a time where we.

Are attentive to you speaking to our.

Hearts that our lives will be different, transformed and honoring and glorifying you as we leave here tonight.

So Father, as you speak, help us to listen and be yielded to you.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

When we think of a gift, when we think of giving something to someone, we think of going to the store and buying something.

We think of something maybe that is.

Super personal that we go, you know, it's something I have cherished and I'm.

Going to pass it on to my.

Children or I'm going to pass it.

On to a friend or a family member that really would be special to them as well.

We think of gifts giving to God.

We think of giving financially, we think of maybe giving extra in tithe or to missions, or you think of maybe giving in other Ways when we think of giving to God, we think of maybe serving him and maybe taking a tract and giving it to a coworker.

Or you think of giving different things.

And doing different things for God in those ways.

But when we truly stop and think about it, the gift God desires from us is for our lives to be a living sacrifice.

Now I don't know about you, but, but when I consider sacrifice, it's not.

Something that really excites me.

Sacrifice means something has to die, something.

Is going away, something is being relinquished.

And so when the people here would be thinking of a sacrifice, no doubt their mind would be going back to the Old Testament and the things that were given in Leviticus about the different offerings and sacrifices that they would make.

Now, to the best of my knowledge and study here, what I would say, what God is tying to from the New Testament to the Old Testament here would be the burnt offering.

The burnt offering in Leviticus.

If you go back to Leviticus chapter number six, I know the real exciting book of Leviticus, but there's good information.

There and there's information we can grow from.

And so we go back to Leviticus chapter number six, we find this about the burnt offering.

We find out that the burnt offering was a spotless animal that was given there.

It could be a couple different animals.

They could be given for the burnt offering.

It was given and as it was given it was to be completely consumed.

So there wasn't, it wasn't to be eaten for the priest to eat off of and survive off of some of the other sacrifices and offerings.

God allowed that and allowed the priests there to be able to live off.

Of those sacrifices and the offerings of those.

But this one here, the burnt offering.

Was to be burnt completely.

Nothing left.

The skins was the only thing that was kept for clothing that the priest could have.

But everything was, it was completely burnt up and given holy to God.

And it was supposed to go up to God as a sweet smelling savor.

Okay, that was his purpose.

So this, this was a, an offering that was given and although it was told to them, they were to put their hands on the, the animal and.

It was going to be for their sin.

It was for a general sin, it wasn't for specific sin.

It wasn't that they've done wrong and they come and they would give a sin sacrifice in that way, it wasn't for atonement in that way.

It was be more of a general atonement.

And it would be just saying, I want to draw close to God.

Because this offering Wasn't an offering given by the law to say, if you sin, you have to sacrifice this.

This was a voluntary offering.

The burnt offering was a voluntary offering that they would bring, and you could bring it at any time during the year and it was there to give.

And saying, I want to give it all and I want to show my love for God.

I want to show.

I want to show my closeness to God.

I want to be close to God, and I want nothing between me and my God.

And I want to show that my expense that I've given and I'm willing to give of what I have and give it wholly to God without reservation, without any other thought of return.

No, I am going to give this to God.

This is what I believe here In Romans, chapter 12, when he talks about a living sacrifice, I believe that it's correlating that from the burnt offering.

Well, why do you believe that?

Well, let's look at it.

There's a couple of pieces in here.

He says this, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present.

So he's showing there the voluntary nature of this.

He's saying, I want this to be voluntary for you.

This isn't for your sin.

Jesus Christ is our offering.

He is our sin penalty.

He's the one that sacrificed and it's his blood upon the altar that our sins are washed away.

Amen.

Praise God.

Right, but what next?

What about the rest of our lives?

And so here, Paul.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, here, Paul, he's writing to the Romans here and he's saying, here's what I want you to do.

I want you to give your lives as a living sacrifice.

I want you to give, not because you have to.

This is going to take away your sin.

No, no, no.

I want you to give your life for God because he took away your sin.

Because all that God has done for you, I want you to, because of your love for God and what he's done, I want you to give your life back to him and I want you to serve Him.

He talks about a reasonable service.

So when we're talking about a living sacrifice, we're literally talking about serving God.

There's three things I want to point out tonight.

Try to encourage you with thinking this time of year.

Christmas gifts, giving your life to God.

What would that look like?

Three things real quickly.

One is Paul is encouraging us to give completely Give completely, no holding back.

The burnt offering was there to be completely consumed.

That it wasn't.

Part was going to be consumed and then part of it used for something.

No, it was going to be completely given to be burnt up and wholly consumed in worship and honor to God for the glory of God.

He's saying this.

I want to give it completely for this purpose.

Listen, God wants you to give your life to be completely given to him for his honor and for his glory.

A sweet smelling savior for God to.

Be given completely, nothing held back.

That means every area of our life.

Can I bring it down to today's.

Terminology.

That means not just, well, I.

Go to church on Sunday, well, I.

Serve in this area on Sunday.

I teach this Sunday school class.

I, I serve the Lord in this area.

But when it's time to sit back in my easy chair, this is my time.

Well, you know, I'll serve God as long as.

And we can put conditions in there and say, well, as long as.

As long as I have time, as long.

As it doesn't interfere with the other.

Things I like doing.

If it doesn't, if it doesn't cost me too much and it doesn't cost me my hobbies I like to do.

If it doesn't take away from me wanting to buy these things for myself, I'll give to God.

And this is in every area of our life.

I'm talking the area of our time, the area of our treasures, our finances, the area of our priorities and what we say.

This is priority in my life and this is the next priority in my life.

And listen, does God have all of you?

Have you given him all a living sacrifice to him, or is an area.

In your life that you say, well.

I give to God and I give him this and I give him this and but this area is mine.

This pleasure, I like this, this thing is mine.

No, no, God doesn't want you to not have any fun in life.

And I'm not saying if you have.

A hobby that you're sinful and you're in the wrong place.

No, that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying this.

Does God have all of you?

Is there an area that maybe God has encouraged you to do less of.

Yet you don't want to give any of it up.

Is there an area of your life that you'd say, if I look back on 20, 25 and I look back at all that my time was spent on, is there an area that God would say, you see how much time was spent in this area, you see how much time you spent doing this activity, whether it's in entertainment, whether it's in hobbies, whether it's in other things that you like to enjoy.

And you have this much time, only this much time doing, serving God or witnessing to others.

And we could go on and on about the different things.

Can we say that those are appropriate, appropriately balanced?

Is God leading you to change your.

Life in an area that he's saying, I want you to glorify me in this area?

Sometimes that's hard to do because we like comfort and we like to be in comfort and comforted.

We like all of the modern amenities that this world offers.

Are you willing to give everything to God?

The thing that holds us back is the thought of this.

But that's going to mean I'm going to miss out on too much.

You know, one thing I found here in America that us as Americans just to have a hard time with, it's the fear of missing out.

It just grabs us.

We feel like we're going to miss out on anything from all the things.

We see on social media to the.

Things we see on TV to the.

Things to the advertisements that we see on a constant basis, to just some somebody being in the other room, not knowing what's going on in the other room.

Sometimes there's a fear of missing out.

But we can bring that into our spiritual life and say, God, but if I let this go, I might miss out on this.

And we justify it in our lives by saying, it's not sinful, so it's okay.

But that's not God's standard.

God's standard is this.

Who has your life?

Is it yours or God's?

Whose is it to use, yours or God's?

We cannot do everything.

We cannot have everything.

We pick and choose every day.

So what is it that goes through your mind when you have to pick and choose?

Is it based upon what you like the most?

Or do you stop and say, God, what would you have for my life in this decision?

God, I am a living sacrifice for you.

What would you like for my day today?

You know, that can change our lives.

I wonder how many of your co workers know you're a Christian, but from there, how many of your co workers have been witnessed to by you?

Oh, I think they're a Christian.

It's not what I asked.

How many of your co workers have been witnessed to by you?

It's not my responsibility to witness to your co workers.

It's not your pastor's responsibility to witness to your co workers.

God has given that responsibility to you.

And we could say, friends, family, neighbors, what would our lives.

What would your life look like if it was a living sacrifice to God?

How would your finances look?

How would your time look?

How would your priorities look?

That's what I'm getting at.

Who does your life belong to?

The second thing I want to encourage you in is this.

It says, and we look down back at verse number one here, Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.

I just want to encourage you in this.

As we look back at the burnt offering and it's supposed to be a.

Spotless animal that they're giving.

Here's what I just want to encourage you very quickly this evening is this give in a way that will glorify God.

It's a living sacrifice, which means it's continually ongoing.

And with it being a continually ongoing.

Thing, which we'll get to in just.

A second, our life is not going to be perfect.

That's not what I'm talking about.

But the service talks about a reasonable service.

Service to God needs to be accept means to glorify God.

The vehicle matters.

If you have a testimony that you've spent so many years in the world and God had mercy on you and saved you out of drugs and addiction, out of a horrible situation that you wish never was a part of your life, what a testimony.

And praise God for your testimony.

But after salvation, it matters how our life is lived.

The word of God talks about old things are passed away.

Behold, all things become new.

Yet far too many believers live a life like their life on this earth doesn't matter to God and doesn't matter for God.

That how I live, that what I put before my eyes, that what I.

Listen to, what I watch on tv, what I put into my body and consume, that it doesn't matter that I can find loopholes.

God doesn't say anything about this.

God doesn't say anything about that.

God doesn't say anything about smoking.

And God doesn't say anything about this and that.

Listen, it matters what our life looks like because it's supposed to be holy and to glorify God.

So if our life is to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, that means the life that we're living shouldn't be lived like it looks like it's in the world and spotted by the world.

We should look like someone who is a child of God, who has been redeemed from the world and from the spots of this world through Jesus Christ and Saying, no, I'm going to live differently because God has called me to live differently.

That I'm going to live in a way that glorifies God because of all that he's done for me, that I don't want to live and look like the world?

No, I want to look like God and I want to be holy as God is holy.

And I want to look like his son, Jesus Christ.

And he let God work on me and work on me.

Listen, I know we're not going to be perfect.

Things are going to come out of our mouth that maybe should never come.

Out of a Christian's mouth.

There are many things that you're going to do and things that are going to happen.

But listen, that's why we have Jesus Christ.

That's why we have the one that we can go to and seek forgiveness.

But is that the summary of your life or the exception of your life?

Have you gone back and your life during the week looks a whole lot like the unsaved co worker does through the week.

The only difference is you go to.

Church on Sunday and he doesn't.

Is that the difference or is there difference from the inside out?

My talk is different.

What I listen to is different.

What I watch is different.

How I dress is different.

The question has to be asked, do you want your offering to glorify God?

And you're the offering.

Who will you glorify?

The last thing is this.

He says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, living continual.

If you're living for God, I rejoice with you and I glorify God with you.

If your life is to the place where you say it's honoring to God and glorifying God.

And I've yielded every area of my life to God.

I'm following after him.

I'm raising my family like God wants.

Me to raise my family.

Our entertainment looks like God glorifies God.

And not the ways of this world.

No, I've put things in place to protect from the evil things of this world coming into our home.

I have no, I've done all the things and and every area of our life.

We want to serve God here and serve God there and everywhere we find ourselves.

We want to give out the gospel and we want God's name to be glorified in everything that is said and done.

And I want to say praise God.

To be a renewing of saying today, God my gift continually and again today.

Is this me as a living sacrifice for you, wholly acceptable, which is just my reasonable service.

Can I say odds are if you live by default, your life is going to be lived for you.

That means if you don't choose, he's beseeching, will you give?

If you don't give, your life will be lived for yourself.

It's passed, it's done, it's almost in stone.

Can this Christmas be a Christmas that you say, God, I thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the remembrance of him being born in a manger to take care of my sins.

And my gift back to you is me.

Will you do that this Christmas.