1. Counter Christmas, Part 2: The Big Give…

2. Please… Take the gift!

3. Only open hands Are able to receive

4. What if it's true…? God wants more for you Than you want for you…?

5. Only open hands Are able to receive

6. Christmas Giving

7. "By what authority…???"

8. …Jesus began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.

9. Act of Faith: Untried Soil Untried Soil Winepress and Watchtower Winepress and Watchtower Four Years of Cultivation Four Years of Cultivation Support the Farmers Support the Farmers Buy Manure and Supplies Buy Manure and Supplies Fifth Year: MIGHT see return on investment Fifth Year: MIGHT see return on investment

10. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. Whose Vineyard?

11. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. "Step-off!"

12. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Colortyme

13. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. It's not yours…

14. What would you do?

15. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

16. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.

17. What about now?

18. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'

19. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' Represents me- in my authority and power

20. But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.'

21. But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

22. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

23. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others."

24. "It's not yours…"

25. Only open hands Are able to receive

26. When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" …The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them…

27. "By what authority?" I own this thing All of it

28. Tenants- in a relationship Give owner his portion= continue to be blessed Closed hands("Mine!") = no more gifts

29. Only open hands Are able to receive

30. The Story Behind The Story of Christmas

31. God's overwhelming desire: Relationship with this Creation

32. God's overwhelming desire: Relationship with this Creation We were Made for Relationship: Formed for Fellowship with our Creator

33. In God's Image: Moral Free Will "If you eat, you will surely die…"

34. In God's Image: Moral Free Will "Mine! I can have it if I want…"

35. Relationship Cut: Innocence ends…Adam and Eve hide

36. Rest of the Old Testament: God reaches out His creation rejects God reaches out again

37. God sends Prophets, Teachers, Leaders- Just like the Servants Prophets tend to get killed

38. His people continue to reject him Or…lie and hedge their bets

39. God reaches out- we reject "Mine!" God reaches out again

40. Only open hands Are able to receive

41. Email from another city: "Why is God being so mean to me?"

42. Email from another city: "Why is God being so mean to me?" Only open hands Are able to receive

43. God reaches out- we reject "Mine!" God reaches out again

44. What would you do?

45. He doesn't meet force with force But with overwhelming patience

46. God sends his Son- Christmas!

47. God sends his Son- Christmas! In his authority, with his power, representing his interests

48. We reject his Son and torture and kill him

49. What would you do?

50. God uses Christ's death To provide a path to real relationship

51. God is looking for fruit "I've appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…"- Jesus

52. God is looking for fruit Fruit is a changed life as we open our hands, give Jesus our lives and let him lead us

53. If we hold our hands closed saying, "Mine!" we lose it all There's no one left to send

54. Open hands receive: life, joy, peace, restoration, eternity

55. Believers- If I keep my hands open, giving God the first-fruits of my life: Praise, Time, Money, Affections, Trust, Heart I gain the gift he wants to give: “I have come that you might have life…life to the full”- Jesus

56. "It's not yours…"

57. Believers- God wants more for us Than we want for us

58. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

59. "Showed his love"- to reveal something that was previously hidden That's what Christmas is about- It's the unveiling of God's heart

60. Only open hands Are able to receive

61. What is it God wants? A recognition of ownership Demonstrated by first-fruits

62. Giving is an act of Recognition That leads to Receiving We cannot receive if our hands are full

63. How we Give Demonstrates what we Recognize and Determines what we Receive

64. "Mine!" - Presents for people I love- $ store for needy - How I spend my time - How I live in front of a watching world - What I want for Christmas - Family Gatherings Christmas is about…me! His! - How I spend and give - My use of time - My witness - What he wants for me - Purpose behind how I treat family Life is about…Jesus!

65. Only open hands Are able to receive

66. My Girlfriend…