Jesus, the Greatest Gift: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 We’re going to talk about a gift that’s higher than any of these gifts. We’re going to talk about Jesus being the greatest gift and of course the way to get that gift is again love it’s the more excellent way so we are going to. Go to Genesis 15:1 and we see there the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying fear not Abram I am your shield I am your protector and I am your exceedingly great reward I’m the reward above everything I’m going to do for you.

▶ 0:55 Now just let that sink in now that’s God talking to Abram and Psalms 142 verse 5 David the psalmist by the spirit of the Lord. Said Lord you are my refuge my portion my possession my reward in the land of the living now I don’t have to wait for the rapture I. Can possess Jesus Christ now and he will be my refuge. David said it by the spirit and God said it to Abraham directly. God is folks the biggest gift the greatest gift that he’s given us.

▶ 1:52 The reward. The award of Jesus is greater than his protection it’s greater than his aid it’s greater than spiritual gifts gifts of the spirit and it’s greater than the ministry gifts of the apostle prophet teacher and so forth because without Jesus none of those things can develop. Can I get an amen and sometimes we get distracted we get off on a tangent on things that build us and encourage us and things we need to do and we forget about the most important thing and that’s Jesus Christ in John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

▶ 2:58 We have made a God out of belief. Faith if I just believe I just have faith faith faith faith faith for eternal life faith to stand away from that lake of fire faith everywhere you go it’s faith faith faith everybody always says this famous statement my faith it’s not even in the Bible. Your faith God’s faith is in the Bible the Bible is not a book of faith the Bible says it’s a book of truth and you get persuaded and convinced faith by that truth amen so are our conviction are convincing is in truth and so we make a God out of faith.

▶ 3:55 We go around tell them people we’re not going to hell and we have eternal life and the emphasis on this scripture is always at the end. But the real power and the real important stuff is at the beginning for God so loved mankind. You see love is the more excellent way God so loved us that he gave us gift his only begotten son he gave us a gift and yes through that son we get everlasting life yes through that son and we don’t go to the lake of fire but folks that son is a gift. Amen and we forget about that and God did it because he loves us now how much more should we love him back and receive Jesus we may focus on eternal life and perishing and faith and fail to see love in the gift of Jesus in this verse.

▶ 5:07 Matthew 11:28 come unto me who. Jesus is talking come unto me. You see come to the gift come to the gift of God Jesus Christ and I will give you rest or refreshing and this is what I liked about the church especially the spirit-filled churches they sought God to find God and when you touch God it was so refreshing it was so strengthening and encouraging and uplifting. Are you with me and Jesus had come to me don’t come to faith don’t come to the denomination the catholics can help you the baptist can help you the presbyterians can help you I am the one that can refresh your soul refresh your spirit.

▶ 6:09 Isn’t it beautiful, the greatest gift is Jesus Christ. We can’t go to a good speaker and are we we go oh what a great speaker so what that. Speaker doesn’t even come close to Jesus Christ one touch of Jesus Christ can change your life forever and for a season and refresh you and keep you moving in God and let me tell you there’s no political party that’s going to change America. America is going to be changed by the Lord Jesus Christ and the word of God you watch if you think Trump is going to be the answer for America or Kasich or cruise or Hillary Clinton.

▶ 7:04 Or you got the burn for Bernie. You better get the burn for Jesus because Jesus can revolutionize a life a family a community and a nation and we can argue about who should be president all that we want but let me tell you if those protesters that’s protesting Trump would go to Washington DC and protests taking the Bible out of the schools Jesus out of the schools the Bible out of public places Jesus out of public places we would really be getting somewhere because the Bible and Jesus can change this generation amen and that’s what we should be protesting. Anyway. John 4:10 if you knew the gift of God.

▶ 7:59 He. Would give you living water who’s the gift of God Jesus and we can know him an intimate relationship a personal relationship with Jesus is what revolutionized my life I I put off being a Christian for years because I didn’t think it worked because it never worked for and in anybody they come and went like the seasons of the year is in and out and then when I came and I said that sinners prayer Jesus came to me and revealed himself to me I couldn’t believe it this guy is real why didn’t they tell me he was real before I would have got saved as a teenager you know that the testimony wash gets saved and hang on to the rapture hang on.

▶ 8:53 Man what I experienced was no hanging on thing it was a motivating thing and then I got filled with the Holy Spirit two weeks later after being baptized the week before and not just revolutionized my life God is a personal God that you can experience you can feel him he’ll commune with you in your conscience. Amen. The gift of God. The key is the gift the living water is just something that follows him. It’s just something that’s going to happen because you know the gift you know Jesus is that any men the greatest gift is Jesus Christ okay two things are required.

▶ 9:46 After believing. In John 9:31 God does not hear sinners now that’s not true these people are talking this is not God talking okay that part’s not true God does hear the sinner’s prayer if you confess your sin he is what faithful and just to forgive you your sin and clean yes a sinner can come to God admit he needs God’s help admit he’s wrong and God will hear okay he won’t hear other prayers but he’ll hear that one money all right but if anyone is a what. Worshiper say worshiper and does his will God hears him so there’s two things we’ve got to serve God and obey the scriptures but we also are required to worship him.

▶ 10:47 Matthew 4:10 written Jesus said it is what written and all through the Old Testament and the new. You shall worship say the word worship the Lord your God not a speaker not a church not a group not a singing group you shall worship adore bow before. Acknowledge the Lord your God alleluia and him only shall you serve you obey him you obey him his word is higher than any other word his way is higher than any other way. Serving makes us a light to the world let your light so shine before men that they may see your lukewarm.

▶ 11:41 Works. Have hard it works your good work say good works good works and glorify your father which is in heaven so see me serving God people see it and it’s a light to them amen if I live like they do and talk like they do I’m no light to them. Hello that was a good place for everybody say amen yes. You see so it’s it’s imperative that I obey God if I really want people to know God it’s imperative that obey him because through my behavior they see the light of Christ and they acknowledge God in us not us but God in us they honor the father the worship brings us into an encounter with the virtue the power of Jesus Christ.

▶ 12:45 That’s why every protestant church has a worship service it is written that you worship. Amen. And not just serve him it is written that you worship alleluia and that brings me to an encounter with the gift the greatest gift Jesus who will refresh me renew me and strengthen me and that’s what I liked about spirit-filled churches as I could get refreshed I get doubtful through the week I could come in and then that worship service and that altar time God would come to me and talk to me about me not the brother not my sister me and he would encourage me and change me little by little as he kept touching me are you with me yes I knelt down every service I knelt down I went up to that altar every service for a long time because I had a lot of changing to do about you yeah.

▶ 13:59 Now. Let me show you the results of the virtue of the power of Jesus through worship just through worship. Okay. We all have our little cultural ideas that we were brought up with or our group acknowledges and we’ve just become tattooed into the culture but let me show you the power of worship and the results of it. In Luke 7:44 Jesus goes to a man to the name of Simon’s house and while he’s there a woman comes in with an alabaster box and she anoints his feet with all washes his feet with her tears dries them with the hair of her head.

▶ 14:51 Simon said to himself he didn’t think Jesus could hear he didn’t think Jesus could read minds. He said to himself there is no prophet of God if he were a prophet of God if he were the son of God he’d know that that woman touching him is a bad sinner. That’s what he said to himself so Jesus turns the Simon it says Simon you gave me no water for my feet. Back in those days they wore sandals their feet got dirty and it was customary when you go to a guesthouse they give you a basin to wash your feet in okay. You gave me no kiss a kiss back then was a greeting and a lot of middle east nations do that now they greet each other with a kiss all right it was a greeting so Simon didn’t greeting didn’t embrace him Simon didn’t give him anything for his dirty feet and no oil for his head so he could refresh himself and groom himself you know and look nice from the wind you know on and the weather messing him up he said something you gave me none of these things but this woman kissed my feet anointed my feet with oil and wash my feet with her tears Simon.

▶ 16:18 This woman did all that and you know this woman to do the feet has to be on her knees don’t you. That is the main expression of worship alleluia. And its really good for us macho men because we think would too yeah. He’s manly to get on our knees and worship deed to be living it’s really good for a women they don’t have too much problem with that but us men we are thick skulled man. Look at this her many sins. Her many sins are forgiven. Because she loved much and she showed it by worshipping Jesus Christ.

▶ 17:17 In that a beautiful story gets better let me explain this more thoroughly to you. She didn’t cry out for forgiveness oh forgive me oh man he said forgive me Lord forgive me Lord forgive me. Like a lot of us pentecostals think louder you scream the more you say it God will do something. She didn’t do that she didn’t pray. And. She didn’t bow three times to the east. Did you get that you say we get stuck in such ritualistic traditions the muslims thinks that three times a day is going to bring something and don’t know the gift is what’s going to bring it and the gift is who Jesus Christ they would be a lot better off getting in their prayer closet at home and kneeling before Jesus no east up there at the right hand of the father amen.

▶ 18:32 Hallelujah. She didn’t fall in the spirit oh. Like us pentecostals would do. And Paul said they’re going to think you’re nuts and they did they thought we were nuts and I had to work through all this nonsense to get to the practical side of the gospel are you there remember I still went to spirit-filled church is because they look for Christ they saw Christ and he would come ninety percent of the time and you could touch God and that’s what I needed amen.

▶ 19:36 She didn’t give any money you know oh man yes y’all give and it shall be given unto you pressed down shaken together and running over send me your fifty dollars your hundred dollars you’re twenty-five dollars and God will bless you he’ll forgive you heal you, amen. I’ll drive my Rolls-Royce silver shadow car all live in a mansion but you send me your social security jack. So you didn’t have to give any money are you there. She just worshipped. She didn’t have to say I have faith do you have faith to be forgiven yes I have faith to be forgiven you sure you got faith to be forgiven if you got faith to be forgiven I can pray and God forgive me I got faith to be forgiven alright alright I believe I have faith she never went through that ritual either.

▶ 20:40 Are you out there and now I’m stepping on your cultural mind right now. Because this gift of Christ is much bigger than all these ritualistic nonsense we get into and think that method is it are you with me. She wasn’t required to unbraid her hair take off her jewelry or remove her makeup. Hallelujah. We require things that are ridiculous when the answer is in Jesus Christ amen doesn’t the Bible say he takes you as you are hallelujah.

▶ 21:43 Someone was debating with me about first Corinthians 11 being a holy chapter the women couldn’t cut their hair and they had to dress modestly and all this stuff and they said we don’t we don’t tell him not to we let the spirit convict him I said listen I know the spirit and he would never convict the woman about her hair. They looked at me I said no he wouldn’t do that he’ll convict him about the 10 commandments. Amen. But the hair the clothes the jewelry wearing pants got nothing to do with anything they didn’t even have pants invented when the Bible was written. In there right.

▶ 22:36 Alleluia. She got forgiven because she worshipped and love the Lord Jesus Christ love is the excellent way the superior way can you say amen loving Jesus not your church not some little foolish doctrine but loving Jesus and letting him touch your life now. Matthew 8:2 a leper came and worshiped Jesus look at this saying Lord if you will you can heal me and Jesus what. Touched him reach down and touched him and said I will I will and what immediately his leprosy was cleansed again did he cry out did he fall in the spirit did he pay something in the offering no he simply what knelt down acknowledging Jesus as the supreme power.

▶ 23:49 And Jesus touched him and worship a man how many could use a little touch of Jesus I tell you it changes your life I know I’ve been on this thing for decades if that touch is very important to me he can correct me he can convict me a thing just one touch just change it calms me down and everything else bridles my tongue or whatever Matthew 9:18 this is a ruler a nobleman in the community this is a man a successful man. He came and what did he do worship Jesus. Don’t tell me churches for lamebrains. Weak-minded this is a nobleman this is a man of authority a man with a respect in the community and he said Lord my daughter it just died but if you come and touch her she.

▶ 24:59 Will live. Jesus went to the man’s house touch the girl and bam she came back from the dead and what did he use worship. You are focusing in on ministering to Jesus directly you’re telling him you love him you and love means you’ll do nothing to hurt him. Amen. The touch of Jesus in worship. Matthew 5:15 22 a woman of Canaan. Jesus went over to Tyre and Sidon over toward the mediterranean coast and he met this woman that was living in Canaan but she was really a syrian her nationality was syrian and she was also a greek a greek speaking person a non-jew this woman was mixed that sound like America I mean she’s all mix he got a little bit of everything in her and she came to Jesus and she.

▶ 26:17 Cried out she saw the blind man cry out she saw other people cria so she came and cried out Jesus. have mercy on me thou son of David. Again we think loudness will shake heaven and it works sometimes when God’s in it. But look what Jesus did. He answered her not a word this basically ignored her just walked right on by and she’s over here screaming. Jesus. David and he don’t pay any mind now let’s pentecostals we were good at making a lot of racket.

▶ 27:12 You know when nothing else work to scream loud enough it. Did something like that now surely that work and Jesus just want walked on back and a lot of times in pentecostal circles which I can talk about because I was saved in it and grew up in it and everything else. And even when it doesn’t work they just keep doing it how many know if something not working it’s a good idea to change the approach could that be any man yeah good idea to change the approach so. Then she came in what. Worshiped him she shut her big mouth. Yeah stop drawing attention to herself and just knelt down before Jesus and worshipped him and saying Lord help me my daughter is demon-possessed.

▶ 28:19 She came for her daughter this like the ruler came for his child. When she worshiped Jesus said three words three words let it be you know as pentecostal ministers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command the demon to come. Yeah we do all these theatrics. And they do it on tv and everybody thinks that’s the way it’s done and Jesus never touched one demon possessed person. Except the woman that was bent over from a sickness. He simply said what let it be.

▶ 29:19 Her daughter was healed from that very hour from the time Jesus said let it be Jesus never went and prayed over her never touched her never laid hands on her just his word and it was done folks that’s how powerful worship is that’s how important worship is you can meet with your God personally and you can talk to him personally and he can touch you personally we think we gotta lay hands I say you know I think we got to do all you know sometimes worship just acknowledge in Jesus works wonders. Now. The results through keeping his word remember we’re supposed to worship him and obey him right John 14:23 if a man love me he will keep my words so we love Jesus by obeying his word and we love Jesus true worship my father will love him my father will love him and we is we singular or plural plural.

▶ 30:29 We will come to him and make our abode with him is our singular or plural where do these people get off. The muslims is only one God you Christians say there’s three we don’t say there’s three we say there’s one God expressing himself in three ways the father the son and the Holy Spirit and here we have the father expressing himself in two ways don’t we don’t we and two people two parts of the godhead will abide in you Jesus the savior and God the father. Now I don’t know about you I want every part of God amen and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God and we can have all three we are the temple of God because the spirit of God what dwells in us.

▶ 31:26 And people that say Jesus isn’t God they’re out of their mind about what plainly says he’s God well how can it be God how can be the father because that’s the mystery of the godhead he is one God expressing himself three different ways just like I am a son of a father I am a father of a son and I am a husband of a wife I am one person with three different responsibilities. But folks when we obey him Jesus and the father will come and abide in you I don’t know about you but I want it all hallelujah I want the father I want the Son and I want the Holy Ghost at first John 2:14 you are strong hmm how many want to be a strong Christian.

▶ 32:18 Shame on the rest of you should I one of us should want to be a strong Christian oh you want to be a lukewarm worn out Christian no we want to be a strong Christian and it says you are strong why are they strong the word of God abides in you the word of God their their readers of the word they are studies of the word they are obeyers of the word and you have overcome the wicked one. How do we overcome the wicked one by the blood of the lamb and hear the word of God did Jesus overcome Satan by praying about it or do you give Satan a scripture ever time when Satan came to him out there in the desert he gave me a scripture see the word of God is our sword come on Satan I got a scripture for you.

▶ 33:17 Amen. That’s the results to keep in the word that’s why it says it is written at you both obey God and you also worship God don’t put all into one basket do both and obeying God is what helps your marriage that’s what helps your children grow that’s what helps your community because you don’t hurt people. But also worshipping him refuels your spiritual gas tank seeking Jesus. Results in a meeting with Jesus and worship when we meet with Jesus is just the proper response it’s just the practical respond.

▶ 34:10 That’s why you see people crying a lot when Jesus touches them they are so thankful that he’s real they’re so thankful that God has power to come and change their life a lot of crying goes on when Jesus touches people you ever noticed that hallelujah. Matthew 28 verses 1 through 9 Mary Magdalene and the other mary came to the tomb to anoint Jesus is dead body for burial they get to the tomb and there’s an angel there and the angel says I know you’re seeking Jesus these women were seeking Jesus the big bad apostles are in the room scared to death their knees are knocking you know these two women there at the grave.

▶ 35:05 Man you’re awful quiet this. Men like to stay home and hide behind the tv sports and everything else golf game or whatever women just seemed to be seekers of Jesus on the whole more than men until Jesus touches them so they come to the tomb and so the women left the angel and they’re walking and Jesus met them they saw him he what met them when you seek him he will want meet you yea you seek him he will meet you. And he said to them rejoice or greetings that’s a salutation greetings good morning or buenos dias or whatever yeah and they came when they knew it was Jesus they came and held him by the feet and what.

▶ 36:07 Worshipped that is the common sense if your event if you’re in the chair the service and and God touches you the just the common sense thing is just to worship him thank you Lord. He says in Jeremiah 29:13 you shall seek me and you shall find me as the musicians come when you shall search for me with all your heart and he says what I will be found of you if you seek me if you seek the greatest gift out of a love action of worshipping praising him reading a word he will what be found of you he will come to you no minister has a handle on this no pope has a handle on this God will come to everyone in his church and revealed himself to them in that beautiful that’s the greatest gift.