Today's Sermon: "The Gift is Not in the Box"

Scripture: Proverbs 20:11; John 3:16; First Corinthians 13:11  

Good morning Strangers Rest. The title of my message today is “The Gift Is Not The Box” and I want to focus your attention on spiritual maturity.

Proverbs 20:11, from the New American Standard Bible, says, “It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, if his conduct is pure and right.”  It is a fact that a child distinguishes him/herself by how they act, and we label them accordingly – good, bad, respectful, disrespectful, etc. Those labels are based on the actions of the child. We do the same for the child like actions of adults; when we see characteristics of a child being exhibited in an adult we call their behavior “childish.” As it relates to acting childish, it speaks to a lack of maturity and/or growth. What I want you to keep in mind this morning is this: childish behaviors that are normal for a child are abnormal for an adult. 

Let us begin by reading what Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth. He said in First Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  Paul wrote that when he was a child he did childish things, because he was a child. He talked like a child; he understood as a child; and he thought like a child. However, when he grew into a man he began to speak as an adult; understood as an adult; and began thinking like an adult. When this happened he put away, stop doing childish things. You see it was no longer acceptable for him as a grown man to continue acting as if he was a child. The expectations are different for an adult when compared to the maturity level of a child. Now let us think about this for a moment.

When I was a child, as most children do, I enjoyed playing with empty boxes. The bigger the box the more use I got from it. With an empty box I could use my imagination to create all sorts of things. I could make a fort; a house; a car; the possibilities were endless. If you have ever seen a small child on Christmas morning opening their presents and discarding the gift within the box so they can play with the empty box, then you know what I am talking about. There were times when I thought of just giving my kids empty boxes as gifts when they were small. But this is normal behavior for a small child. The empty box becomes whatever they want it to be as they immediately start playing with the box. Those kids are happier with the box versus the gift that was in it. Now this can be frustrating for the parents as you spent hours in the stores looking for that special gift only to discover that all you had to do was give them an empty box. So, what do we do as parents? Instead of sitting there and watching our children exhibit pure joy while playing with the empty box, we try to force them to play with the gift that came in the box. We pick it up and start playing with it ourselves hoping that our interest in it will help our child start playing (and appreciate) the gift. That toy, for a moment, may capture their eyes because we are playing with it, but it is short lived as their eyes continually roam back to the empty box.

I cannot tell you this based on any scientific fact about why an empty box is so important to a child, but I can tell you that when a child plays with an empty box, that empty box becomes whatever that child wants that box to be. It could be anything in the eyes of that child. One of my daughters was a huge fan of the television show Sponge Bob Square Pants. There was one episode on that show where Sponge Bob and his friend Patrick were in an empty box, and you could hear the sound of machine guns and aircraft carriers coming from the box. Another friend, Squidward, walks up to the box and sees them sitting in the otherwise empty box. He asks where all the noise was coming from, and Sponge Bob says “Imagination.” All an empty box needs to become anything to a child is the child’s imagination. But what about the gift that came in the box?

It does not take a lot of imagination to play with the gift that came in the box because whatever it is it can only be what it was made to be. The gift inside the box can only be that one thing – the thing it was created to be. The toy can be played with in make believe scenarios, but it is still a particular toy. The toy is what it is – like it or not. Unlike the empty box, you cannot make changes to the toy and all of a sudden it becomes something else unless you are playing with the Transformers and even then the options are limited. If you give a child a doll in a box, the doll is a doll. The child can dress the doll up in different clothes, but it is still a doll. Now the empty box that the doll came in is only limited by the imagination of the child. This, my friends, is childlike behavior that is perfectly normal for a child. This behavior is not normal for an older teenager or an adult. I want you to hold this thought for later: Outer box Jesus or the Jesus in the box.

When we moved into our home a few years ago, we had a lot of boxes of assorted sizes that we had to unpack. As we emptied each box I never had the desire to stop and play with one of those empty boxes!!! I want you to see this because I am going somewhere with all of this. As an adult, if I started playing with empty boxes and making forts and crawling in and out of them all of you would think I had lost my mind! Why? Because that is childlike behavior, not the behavior of a grown man! It is not okay for a grown man to be out in the yard playing with an empty box alone. Now, if he is playing with a child that is acceptable. So, for all of you adults who still love to play with empty boxes, find a child to play with you so it will look like you are joining in with their fantasy world versus the child joining you in yours. My point about this is that it is perfectly normal for a child to play with an empty box, but it would be highly abnormal for an adult to do it alone. That childlike behavior is a behavior that we “grow” out of as we mature.

I told you that to prepare your minds for this statement: some Christians are enjoying the box more than they do the gift that came in the box. You see, some Christians establish an “outer box” relationship with Jesus where they use their imagination to create the Jesus they like. This Jesus accepts whatever they want to give Him as He becomes whatever they imagine Him to be. Then there are Christians who establish a relationship with the Jesus in the box. The Jesus in the box is Who He is so there is no need for an imagination – you just read the instructions and follow the directions. When establishing a relationship with the Jesus in the box you either accept Him as He is or not.

Now imagine someone giving you Jesus all wrapped up in a pretty box. They tell you how important the box is and what it holds. You immediately take the box and cherish it and that is where the problem starts. Some Christians are celebrating Jesus while others are celebrating the “idea” of Him based on their imagination of who He could be in the box and there is a difference! As I said, “Outer Box” Jesus is the relationship we have with Jesus based on our imaginations of what we want Him to be. This comes from what others have told us about Him versus what we have searched out for ourselves. It does not require any action on our part. Although we have Jesus and He is Who He is, we have Him in the box. Stay with me now because the box is important to us. We take care of the box; we store the box; we take the box wherever we go; and when we leave this world the box is handed down to our family members. Imagine cherishing the “Outer Box” Jesus so much that you never took the time to open it and find out what was waiting for you on the inside of the box. All you knew and desired was the box. You did not open it or dig through it. You simply showered the box with all your love and attention. You had a relationship with the box that was established by all the stories passed down through generations of family and Church members.

Then there were those curious and nosey folks who wanted to know what was in the box. They opened the box and found the “Gift inside the Box” Jesus. This is the relationship we are to have with Jesus when we open the box and get to know Him. We take this step because we understand there was a reason that this gift was given to us, and it was not for us to keep for ourselves. It was given to us so that when we received it, we could share it with others. In the book of John, we are told “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.” (John 3:16) The first thing we read in this verse is “God so loved.” First John 4:8 tells us, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God is love! That is who God is! He is love. So, this verse could read, For LOVE so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Sometimes we focus so much on God giving His Son that we miss the fact that the Son had to be in agreement with being given. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son and His only Son so loved the world so much that He agreed to be given. And the reason that God gave Jesus was for all those “whosoevers” who would believe on Him and would not perish. That person who believed on Jesus would not face eternal damnation because they would experience a new birth and go to heaven. That is the gift that is in the box - salvation! We have been given the gift, but we must open the box. Opening the box is the only way we can enjoy and share what is in it. We cannot just cherish the box and never open it! This is what Christmas is about – opening the box to receive the gift inside and then sharing it with others. God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have ever lasting life.

As I have said, oftentimes we pay more attention to the “Outer Box” Jesus versus the Jesus who came to save us. “Outer Box” Jesus is the physical person, Jesus the man, the one we read about rather than the true gift that was inside the human being. When we do that, we devalue what Christmas really means. Let me explain it this way: you see me; you can spend time with me; we can watch TV together or have a meal together, but does that mean you really know me? Unless you engage with me, you really do not know much about me. You do not know what I like or do not like. You do not know what is important to me. You do not know how I think? These are the unique things that make me who I am. If you are spending time with me but are not fully engaging me, then you are interacting with the “box” me versus the “inside” me. You know the outer box me but not the real person inside the box. For some of you that could be all you want. But, if you truly know me and understand me it happened because we spent quality time together. In this case you have moved beyond the outer box. This same logic applied to our relationship with Jesus.

We have pictures of Jesus hanging on the walls of our homes which let people know that we are Christians. We have the Jesus bumper stickers. We have the sticker that says “I love Jesus” plastered all over our cars while we cuss at the person in front of us for cutting us off in traffic. I read a story once, and you may have seen it also, of a police officer pulling over a woman because he suspected that she had stolen the car she was driving. The police officer witnessed the women being cut off by another driver and the woman went ballistic on the other driver. The police officer pulls the woman over and asked for her license and registration. When she gave it to him he verified that the car was truly hers. She then asked him why he pulled her over. He said, “Madam, I saw all of the Jesus bumper stickers on your car and when I saw how you reacted toward the driver who cut you off I assumed that you had stolen the car because your action did not match up with the bumper stickers. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Can you imagine being pulled over because your bumper stickers identify you as a Christian, but your behavior did not? When we have an “Outer Box” Jesus relationship, our behaviors does not always line up with our profession. 

Let me show you this in Scripture. Turn with me to Luke chapter seven and we will begin reading at verse thirty-six. This story is an example of celebrating the “outer box” Jesus versus the “Jesus inside the box.” “(36) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. (37) And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, (38) and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. (39) Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ (40) And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’ (41) ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. (42) And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’ (43) Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ (44) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. (45) You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. (46) You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. (47) Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ (48) Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ (49) And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ (50)  Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”  (Luke 7:36-50)

Did you see it? Simon invited Jesus to his home for dinner. He saw Jesus as a man not fully believing that He was a prophet. Because of His popularity, Simon wanted an audience with Him. Simon was interacting with Jesus the man. This woman however, who was a sinner, came to interact with the “gift in the box” Jesus who was a forgiver of sins; a healer of sickness; and the source of her salvation. This woman came to interact with the One who so loved her that her sins could be forgiven, and she could be saved. This woman came to Him in public with tears rolling down her face because she needed to touch the Jesus that was on the inside of the box. She also brought with her some extremely expensive ointment in an expensive alabaster box. Let me share something with you about the alabaster box. It was not an ordinary box. It was not made of paper, wood, or cardboard. It was not a heavy-duty shipping box. It was considered precious and costly. It was made of a special light weight marble with a beautiful white, almost transparent, color which was primarily found in Egypt. While the box itself was precious and valuable what it contained was even more valuable.

Why would this woman take the box, take the ointment in the box, and pour it all on Jesus? She did it because she saw beyond the “outer box.” I want you to follow me here. Before this woman could get the ointment out of the bottle she had to break the seal. She broke the seal so that the gift she wanted to give could come forth. So, she had this expensive box that held something very precious. She bypassed the outer box and gave up its content – the thing that was truly valuable. What she saw in Jesus meant more to her than the box and what it contained. When Simon, the Pharisee, complained in his heart that if Jesus were truly a prophet He would not be interacting with a sinner, he displayed that he was only interested in the “outer box” Jesus. He did not know Him, nor did he believe in why Jesus came. Jesus, understanding Simon’s heart, walked him through the difference between interacting with the outer box Jesus (Jesus the man) versus the “gift inside the box” Jesus (Jesus the forgiver of sin.)

When you examine everything that Jesus told Simon, you can see that Simon was treating Jesus like he would treat anyone else of importance. He truly gave Jesus no special consideration. This woman, on the other hand, saw Jesus different. He became more valuable to her than the costly alabaster box or ointment that she held dear. Do you see the difference? We must move beyond our “outer box” Jesus relationships. Jesus allowed Himself to be opened through the shedding of His blood so that we could be saved. He lived and died so that we could live eternally if we accepted Him. It is the blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of sin which is the reason for this season.

Let me give you one more example from Scripture. Please turn to Second Timothy chapter three and we will begin reading at verse one. It says, “(1) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: (2) for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, (4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (Second  Timothy 3:1-5) I want you to focus on what Paul said in verse five. He said “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” Paul said that they professed religion, or were in connection with the church. In his letter to Timothy Paul referred to some great corruption in the church; and there can be little doubt that he had his eye on the same great apostasy to which he refers to in First Timothy 4:1-2 when he said, “(1) Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” (First Timothy 4:1-2) Please understand, as it was then it is today, all of these things to which he refers to here have been practiced and tolerated in that apostate church, while no body of men, at any time, have been more zealous in maintaining “a form of godliness;” that is, in keeping up the forms of religion. This is how you can easily identify someone having an outer box Jesus relationship – they have a form of godliness but deny the power of it to truly change them. Therefore their actions do not align with their professed faith. And I want you to see what Paul said in verse one, he said the Holy Spirit expressly said that in the days in which we are living people will depart from the faith. Now you tell me what happens to a person when they depart from the faith.    

Do you remember the famous Christmas story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens? There are several variations of stories as to how Mr. Dickens came to author this story. What they all agree on is that he wrote this play after witnessing what was happening with the children of poor families, especially those kids who were not able to attend school. He witnessed children living like stray dogs scavenging through in sub-zero temperatures with few people willing to do anything about it. After seeing those children living in those conditions, he decided that he must do something. He wrote a pamphlet entitled “An Appeal on Behalf of the Poor Man’s Child.” What is interesting is that when Mr. Dickens wrote this pamphlet he reflected on some of the low points in his own life as a child. He never released the pamphlet, and it is believed that he did not do so after hearing the voice of God.

It was said that God told him that if he published the pamphlet it would do good for a season; however, if he authored the story that God would tell him, it would bring good for all time. Thus in 1843, he authored the story with the main character being an old, unsympathetic, wealthy miser by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge. You know the story that Scrooge was on his way to hell before he was visited by three spirits that led him to a heart change. He went from being a stingy, unsympathetic miser to a man of love who gave to everyone, especially to the poor whom he had previously despised. Ebenezer did not start off this way, he became this way based on circumstances in his life. Life’s circumstances and harshness changed him from being a giving person who loved freely to one who defined himself by the money he earned and had no use for anyone else. After he was visited by the three spirits, one that showed his past (before his change); one that showed his present (after he changed) and one that showed his future (if he did not change). Ebenezer changed. He became the man that everyone wanted to know and be like. This story has never been out of print in 181 years since it was first published. Some of us need an Ebenezer Scrooge experience and we do not even realize it.

Before I close I want to share just a few Scriptures about the gift inside the box.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Second Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

First Peter 4:10: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Ephesians 4:7: “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.”

As I close this morning I want you to think about your relationship with Christ during this Christmas season. Is your relationship an “outer box” Jesus relationship based on what you have heard about Him and through your limited interactions with Him because you keep Him in that beautiful box on your shelf to be brought out for special occasions? Or do you have the “gift inside the box” Jesus relationship? Remember, to share the gift inside the box, we must open the box to remove the gift. We must break the seal; untie the ribbons; and tear off the paper. Jesus is in your box just waiting to be opened and shared with the world. The gift is not the box itself, it is in the box. I pray that each of you will open your box if you have not already! And, after you open the box, discard it so that you are not tempted to treasure the box more than what is in the box.

Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.”  (Numbers 6:24-26)