Yesterday (12/10) I spoke at the middle school and high school chapel at Emmanuel Christian School.
Last Thursday I shared a very similar message with Emmanuel Lights, EBC's senior saints ministry. As you read on you will see the significance of sharing this message with different age groups.
Before talking about the 2nd greatest gift, I reminded the students and teachers of the Greatest Gift. God, himself.
God the Father, graciously gave Jesus Christ, God the Son, came for the forgiveness of our sin and to give eternal life so we could have a right relationship with God.
Jesus, God the Son, said that it is to our advantage that he go away, because he was going to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, the us so that we would have power and strength to do what God commanded us to do.
I have been reminded over and over again that we have Christmas because we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior and God provided His one and only Son to be our Savior, not merely a good example.
I shared what I believe is the 2nd greatest gift God has given us.
The Bride of Christ - The church.
Section 12 of the Gospel Primer reminds us that God through Jesus not only reconciled us to himself but other to one another. We need to seek opportunities to build into other and allow others to build into us.
Hebrews 10:23 - 25 & Ephesians 4:11 - 16 remind us that each and everyone of us needs to encourage one another to grow in Godliness.
While reading the book Compelling Community I was reminded over and over again that the church is a fellowship of believers/disciples.
It is not a group of people who vote the same way.
It is not a group of people from the same ethnic group.
It is not a group of people from the same age group.
The church is made up of sinner's who have been drastically changed by Jesus' sin cleansing, life changing truth.
Young and old and in-between need to be reminded of this!
My goal in teaching this to Emmanuel Light's and EC students was to challenge each listener to
understand what a great salvation we have in Jesus Christ
and
plan to build into one another's lives for the glory of God.
