The Wedding Gift

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.

Many years ago I had heard about a man who had been invited to his friends wedding. The groom and his pretty new bride were going to have a very large wedding reception afterwards where people could present gifts to the newlyweds. He spent a couple days after work stopping at stores and trying to figure out something that he could purchase for them. He finally came across a beautiful and expensive crystal bowl and had the store clerk gift-wrap the present. At the reception he watched hundreds of people place their presents on the table. Slowly all the presents were opened up and they finally got to his. They were shocked at how beautiful and ornate a gift that he had given them. They gushed with praises of appreciation for the beautiful bowl.

A few years later he was invited over to prepare for a hunting trip that the two of them were going to take together. While they were in the garage getting their four-wheelers ready, he noticed something that was sitting on the workbench. It was barely recognizable because it was filled with oily nuts and dirty bolts. There on the counter was his wedding gift he had given them, completely covered in grease. It was his crystal bowl.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The wedding bowl had been a very special gift to his friend but he completely neglected it. God gives us one of the most special gifts we could ever have, His forgiveness and grace in Christ Jesus. It’s something that you do not want to neglect in the Christian Life.

1 Tim 4:14  Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Neglect is to fail to care for something properly, or to ignore it and pay no attention to it. When we are baptized into the Christian Life we can begin a new walk with God through his forgiveness. As I said the other day God’s forgiveness is the greatest treasure that I have ever known. The Apostle Paul was a man who used God’s grace to begin a new life that took him in a completely different direction. He constantly told people about God’s grace because he wanted others to possess it as he did. Instead of trying to destroy Christian churches he was now starting them.

How many times have you been at the supper table when one of the children eats a tiny little amount of food while her brother has a big heaping pile of seconds. The mother dishes them up according to what they need. It’s very similar to the Christian faith.  Each of us are given certain amounts of grace depending on how much we need. Some need lots more, while others need much less but no matter how much grace is required God wants us to grow in the gift that he’s given to each of us, and use the gifts that are provided through his grace.

Ephesians 4:7-13  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

God gives us different abilities in the church but whatever those abilities may be, you don’t want to neglect them.

Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Each of us receives a portion of God’s forgiveness in the church and the Apostle teaches us to minister that forgiveness and grace one to another. The Lord Jesus taught Peter to forgive 70 x 7. Our God is filled with grace and He wants us to be the same way with each other in the church, to be merciful and tenderhearted.

1 Peter 4:9-11 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We don’t want to neglect the beautiful gifts that God gives to us but try to use them to the highest potential that you can.

1 Cor 12:28-31 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

God’s Gift of forgiveness is the greatest treasure that you could ever attain, but you must always remember to treat it as such. God grants us grace so that we can have a new opportunity to repent of our past, and serve Him in obedience and love. It is a gift that Jesus died on the cross for, and of incomparable value, so make sure that you never abuse or neglect it, just like,…..

…….The Wedding Gift

Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.

tlkjbc.com♥️

https://tlkjbc.com/written-sermons/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055335/episodes
https://www.facebook.com/share/14RHGVBBHbG/

Note: Any copies may be printed and freely distributed among those who have no internet service. There is no AI creative involvement in my writings, and must be left intact because they are very personal to me. These are not to be sold, and are made public only for the free benefit of Spiritual knowledge to those who are genuinely seeking the will of God.