Sharing the Gift. Retiring from their jobs, downsizing, moving to 55+ communities and living happily ever after.

Transcription

1 Thursday, February 22, 2018 Sharing the Gift We can kid with one another about living here in Hemet. Yet as we see the deterioration of our community, it is certainly getting less and less funny. Why did you move to Hemet? Most of us moved here because it was affordable. Several decades ago many sold their homes in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles for which they had paid very little back in the 40 s, 50 s and 60 s, and whose values were now in the hundreds of thousands. Retiring from their jobs, downsizing, moving to 55+ communities and living happily ever after. There were multiple banks on every corner. Bumper stickers on cars that read Hemet is Heaven and grocery stores that weren t all Stater Brothers! There was history abounding in our streets. A tack shop on the corner of Florida and State, a train that came into town and brought supplies to the lumber and hardware store on State Street. All of that described our town in the late 70 s and 80 s when Suzie and I moved here from Idyllwild. Why did I move here?

2 Well, like so many others I saw an opportunity. We sold our home that we purchased for $29,000, for$ 54,000. We bought a brand new tract home for just about $45,000 with little down. That gave us an opportunity to purchase a business. We bought one of the three self-serve car washes in the whole community; the only one on Florida Avenue, and planned to buy others in other towns. But that wasn t why I moved to Hemet. Oh, it was a great place to raise our boys back then as we had thought, but that isn t why God moved me to Hemet. As it turned out, we sold our only car wash and used the monies from that sale to supplement our income from a fledgling church which the Lord used us to birth. God moved us here to do what we are doing today. Although we reside back in Idyllwild, Hemet is our home; this is where our home church is. And we travel every day, sometimes through snow, and always along winding roads just to be here. We can all look back on our lives and see the Lord s hand moving us along through it. But the problem is, we often fail to see what the Lord is intending to do in our lives at the present. So, the question really isn t why did you move to Hemet; rather, why did God move you here? One thing to consider is that none of us were willing, volunteering to move to the mission field. So, to every one of us here today, let me assert that God has brought the mission field to you. Many of us in this room live in 55+ communities - no kids playing ball in the street outside, none riding their bikes and skateboards. And

3 especially No Solicitors! Shielded, protected from the outside - yet you are on the inside. You re behind the shield. Why here? Well, that s all we could afford! NO! There was a bigger hand in moving you here. So, for what reason then? This verse came out of last night s study Peter 3:15 (NKJV) 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; You might say well, nobody has asked me that. It s probably because you have not told them that you have an eternal hope in the first place. That s a pretty lengthy introduction, so let s get to this morning s study John 4:7 10 (NKJV) 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. Jesus told this woman, that if she had only known "the gift of God" and who it was that she was talking with, she would have asked Him to give her a drink. This world seems to be in the same condition as was

4 this woman. Satan blinds people to the true identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are multitudes of views, opinions, beliefs, traditions; and cults abound so much so that the average person in your community finds it quite difficult identifying the true Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible. In the verse we have just read, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God " Yes, millions of people are ignorant of the gift God wants to give them. That s what I want to share with you for a little while this morning: 1. TO THE WEARY GOD S GIFT IS REST Matthew 11:28 29 (NKJV) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Psalm 94:13 (NKJV) 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,. 2. TO THE UNGODLY GOD S GIFT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS Romans 4:5 6 (NKJV) 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: Proverbs 21:21 (NKJV) 21 He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness and honor. The Bible describes the ungodly as a people guilty of every sort of sin

5 against God. Yet, God in His love and mercy, offers to them His perfect righteousness through Jesus, not religion. Saul of Tarsus guilty of sinful crimes against God and his people yet He was given righteousness (Phil. 3:9). Philippians 3:9 (NKJV) 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; Rahab of Jericho, a harlot; yet to her and her family, God gave righteousness. There was Zacchaeus the taxman, he was granted to become one of the twelve. The woman taken in adultery, etc. All forgiven and made righteous by Jesus before God! Even you and I come under this kind, but thank God, He has given us righteousness by faith in Jesus. 3. TO THE UNWISE GOD S GIFT IS WISDOM James 1:5 (NKJV) 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Everyone knows that we need guidance and wisdom in this world.

6 Ninety-nine percent of our failures and frustrations in life can be traced to our being wise in ourselves rather than depending upon God for direction. God wants to help us, and our families, our friends and our neighbors and He offers us all His far superior wisdom. Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 4. TO THE TROUBLED GOD S GIFT IS PEACE John 14:27 (NKJV) 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Look at the man of God Job. Gone were his property, loved ones and his health; even his best friends opposed and accused him; it seemed that the whole world had forsaken him, yet he could say: Job 1:21 (NKJV) 21 And he said: Naked I came from my mother s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 13:15 (NKJV) 15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. 5. TO THE LOST GOD S GIFT IS SALVATION

7 John 3:16 (NKJV) 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Luke 19:10 (NKJV) 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. All the way from glory came the loving Jesus, Who hung upon a cruel cross that he might give us poor lost souls the gift of salvation and eternal life. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8 9 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Conclusion: You might not receive the best gifts from man in your lifetime, but if you are saved and know it, you are truly blessed and happy! There is no greater gift than that. Yet to our unsaved family and friends and neighbors, God wants to offer them His Son Jesus, His best gift! And He offers them His best gift through people like you and me. Billy Graham passed away yesterday. Nobody alone will take his place. Not his son Franklin, not Greg Laurie. I believe that an era has passed and the mantle of a Billy Graham has fallen on many saved souls, on you, to reach behind the gates of communities like yours and into a valley like ours and even the little hill town where I now live.