Mature Class Study, teacher Rick Coleman.
The greatest gift was the Son of God who gave us salvation.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Maybe God looked down and saw that sacrificing bulls and goats wasn’t helping mankind. He sent the gift of God, walking in the flesh as Jesus. He came to heal people and brought us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. God saw how man was making a mess of things but he gave a remedy for sin – his only begotten Son.
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Romans 8:28-32 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God gave us living water in the Word of God. We have the written word in our printed Bibles. We were dead in trespasses and sins until the Lord gave us living water.
John 4:7-10 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
God gave us the living bread of his word for us to take in and live by every day.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
God gave us all things to enjoy – nature with the mountains, hills, ocean, deserts, sunshine, heat, valleys, plains. And he gave families, friends, and the ability to travel so we can see the planet he created for us. God opens our eyes when we’re saved to see like we’ve never seen things before.
I Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
God gave us seed to grow fruit trees and vegetables that we enjoy eating.
Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Sin was a curse but with God’s unspeakable gift we have so many blessings. It’s indescribable – so hard to describe what happened when we got saved. It’s a miracle that God did!
II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
It’s hard to count all the blessings God gives us.
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
God gathered us together in his house. We’re not outcasts but we’re gathered together to him.
Isaiah 56:5-8 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
God took out our stony heart that he couldn’t mold like he wanted. Now he’s molding our tender heart to be like he wants it to be. Some aren’t with us in Church today because they hardened their hearts after they were saved.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
God gives us soul rest. It’s a wonderful gift to rest from the burden of sins we used to carry as a heavy load!
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Since God saved us, he’s given us his wonderful peace and it isn’t like the world’s peace. When the storm came and the apostles were afraid, Jesus just said peace and there was peace. When we were tossed in our sinful life, Jesus said peace and gave peace in our soul.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Jesus has overcome the world. With his peace in our hearts, we can overcome everything the enemy throws at us.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
God is the divine keeper of our soul and our peace.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Song excerpt: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God has done…” (Author: Johnson Oatman, 1897).