Title: The Greatest of All Time
Ang gagamitin po nating verse ay perhaps, the most well-known
verse in the Bible and perhaps not thought of as a Christmas verse. But almost
everybody knows verse for sure. I think ginawa na ‘to ni Pastor noon pero can
we all stand up and recite this verse. Can you guess what verse this is? Yes.
John 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now, this may not be well-used verse for Christmas but later
we will study why this is the Verse is one of the most important verses you’ll
ever hear this Christmas.
Sige, can we flash it in the screen now. Kasi hindi ko
kabisado e.
John 3:16
Mga kapatid. Don’t you love this verse this Christmas time?
It says here, for god so love the world that he..what? he gave. You see, serving
and giving are the fruits of our saviour in us. Nauna syang nagbigay bago pa
tayo nagbigay sa kanya. So if we serve and give, o naglingkod sa pamamagitan ng
pagkakaloob ito po ay bunga ng ating tagapagligtas. Maisingit ko lang total
napaguusapan na natin yung bigayan, it’s good to know that we are recognized by
people if we give, but no greater reward if the recognition comes from the
Lord. Since it’s December, let this be a reminder of our pledges for our
building. Parang regalo na din natin ito sa Panginoon.
Tayo po ay dumako sa panalangin.
“Lord Dakilang Diyos Aming Ama, Salamat po sa inyong regalo.
Ito pa ang dahilan kung bakit may pinagdiriwang kaming pasko. Salamat po dahil
ang handog nyo po ay hindi lang portion ng Iyong sarili kundi ang kabuan Mo. Kausapin Ninyo po ang mga taong hindi pa
tumatanggap ng iyong regalong ibinigay sa lahat at nawa’y ito ang maging araw
na iyon. Kayo po ang manguna sa aming pagaaral ngayong umaga, patawarin nyo po
ako sa aking mga kasalanan. Kayo po ang maglagay ng mga salita sa king bibig.
Sayo po ang lahat ng papuri Panginoon ito po ang aming samo’t dalangin sa
matamis na Pangalan ni Hesus… Amen”
Nung Monday yung dalawang jersey numbers ni Kobe yung 8 at
24 ni-retire na at sinabit sa LA Lakers Staples Arena along with the other
retired jerseys from other great players. Andun yung kay Magic Johnson,
Chamberlain, O’Neal, kay West. Those players are considered the greatest players
in Lakers and most of the time, Kobe is compared to Michael Jordan who’s
considered the GOAT of NBA. At pag sinabi nating the GOAT, it means…The
Greatest of all Time. That is the title of our message today. The Greatest of
all Time. Now this has nothing to do with the greatest players in basketball
but about the 3 greatest things that we can see in our text, John 3:16. And
remember mga kapatid, not only great, but the greatest.
Our 3 points for today will be taken in this verse. Di na
tayo masyado lalayo. The first point will be taken from the first line, “For
God so loved the world”. First point, “The Greatest Love Ever.”
Mga kapatid, the Greatest Love has ever known is God’s Love.
Bakit God’s Love is the greatest ever known? Unang -una God’s love is wonderful.
You may say that your mother’s love is wonderful you’re your spouse’s, your
partner but God’s love is supreme. Ibig pong sabihin it’s the highest form of
love. Sino ba tayo para mahalin ng Panginoon? Mga kapatid we have nothing to
offer God. Marahil inibig ka ng asawa mo dahil niligawan ka nya, nabihag ka sa
kanyang panliligaw. Ang yong ina, iniibig ka nya dahil 9 na buwan ka nyang
dinala sa sinapupunan pero sabi sa Romans, for all have sinned and come short.
Kapos tayo sa kaluwalhatiaan ng Diyos. Sa perspektibo ng tao, hindi tayo
deserve. Pero what makes it wonderful mga kapatid, eligible pa din tayo sa
highest form of love na ito. Bigla ako naalala yung nag-opening yung Titan
store jan sa Molito, yung tindahan ng mga sapatos, merong food truck ng Roast
Beef sandwich. Galing ako nun sa trabaho sa Acacia pa ako non nagtatrabaho so
natakam ako. Medyo gabi na at pagod ako e. Yung roast beef mukhang masarap
niluluto sa harap mo. Pero nung bibili na ako napansin ko lahat ng nakapila may
sticker na green. Napagalaman ko na exclusive lang pala yun sa mga
nakapagregister. So bigo ako ng gabing yun. Nagpapasalamat ako dahil hindi
ganoon ang pamantayan ng Panginoon. Sabi nya, whosever will may come. Wala man
akong sticker na green, eligible akong makuha ang roast beef. Well,
figuratively. And that makes it wonderful. Now not only God’s love is wonderful
and supreme but it’s also wholehearted. It means, it’s unconditional. Sabi sa 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that
we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for
our sins. Thank God that he is the Prime Mover of our Salvation that before we
were ever born he knew us and he still loved us. Mga kapatid hindi po ito katulad
ng mga panlupang relasyon ano po. Na after 8 years or 10, 15 na akala mong
siguradong sigurado sya sayo noon. Or ikaw sigurado ka sa kanya, ngayon kapag
tinanong mo hindi ko na alam e. Kaya may naghihiwalay may nagbebreak. May nagdidivorce.
Kaya nauuso yung mga hugot lines ngayon e. Dahil yan sa mga pag-ibig na nawala,
nagfade, nagbago. Ika nga sa isang pelikula “People change, feelings change.”
Pero alam nyo po ang maganda sa Panginoon natin, hindi pa tayo naipapanganak
inibig na nya tayo at hanggang ngayon, kung ilang taon ka ng nabububuhay sa
mundo, kung gaano ka dakila ang pagibig nya noon hanggang ngayon hindi po yun
nagbabago. That’s why our first point is The Greatest Love Has Ever Known.
There’s a pastor in Brazil who shared this story di ko alam
kung ito ay isa sa kanyang mga member. Tungkol ito sa mag-ina. Si Maria at ang
anak nya na si Cristina. Si Maria ay maagang nabalo kaya itinaguyod nya magisa
ang pamilya nila. Mahal na mahal nya anak nya. Payak lang ang pamumuhay nila.maliit
na kwarto may lababo kama. Gayunpaman di naman sila nagugutom dahil masipag nagtatarabaho
si Maria. Nung nagdadalaga na si Cristina, tulad ng ibang kabataan, dumaan sya
sa phase nang pagrerebelde. One day Cristina had this big talk with her mother.
She expressed her thoughts about living their town and going to the city to
experience the world. She started to ridicule her mother for her simple
lifestyle. Isang araw paguwi ni Maria galling sa trabaho, wala don si Cristina.
Tumingin sya sa bahay walang gamit sa kapitbahay wala din at sa buong town nila
wala si Cristina. Sobrang alala nya na tintotoo ni Cristina na ayaw na nya sa
bahay nila. Pagtapos ng ilang araw na pagiipon, umalis si Maria sa bayan nya at
pumunta sya sa Rio De Janeiro. Ito yung lugar na palaging binabanggit ni
Cristina na gusto nyang puntahan. Ang ginawa ni Maria nagpapicture sya sa
photobooth ng mga 2X2 na madami. Yung parang sa foto me. Tapos sinulatan nya
isa isa yung likod ng picture eto yung sinulat nya. “Whatever you've done
whatever you have become it doesn’t matter. Please come home.”. So si Maria
yung natira nyang pera pinagpamasahe nya papuntang Rio De Janeiro at pumunta
sya sa lahat ng restaurant, bars, motels pinaskil nya yung picture nya sa mga
bintana at salamin hanggang sa maubos with hopes na sana makarating ito sa anak
nya tapos umuwi na din sya. Isang araw, after a day of sinful activities,
siguro nag inom pumarty, medyo intoxicated pa si Cristina, pauwi sya sa isang
cheap motel na tinutulan nya, naaninagan nya yung picture na pamilyar ang
itsura tapos kinuha nya. Dahil siguro lasing na sya di nya maaninagan kung sino
yun basta nagdirediretso na lang syang nakatulog. Then in the morning she wakes
up nasa kamay nya pa yung picture. And she recognizes that it’s Maria her
mother pupungas pungas pa sya and nakita nya yung note sa likod. It says there,
“Whatever you've done whatever you have become it doesn’t matter. Please come
home.”. Immediately natauhan sya at ganun na nga ang ginawa nya. Yung nanay nya
tinanggap sya ng buong buo. At bumalik siya dati nyang buhay. That Sunday,
masayang nagsimba si Maria dahil kasma na niya uli si Cristina. This story of
Maria and Crisitina is a reminder of the Greatest Love of God for us. That
everytime it’s Christmas, every time we see the cross and you think ikaw ay
malayo sa kalooban ng Panginoon, “Whatever you've done whatever you have become
it doesn’t matter. Please come home.”
So we see the Greatest Love Ever and that’s the Love of God
to us. For our second point, let me ask you a question. Personal na question,
what do you think is the best gift na natanggap nyo from someone. Either
birthday nyo o pasko ba yan o nung kinasal kayo? Sagutin nyo na lang sa isip
nyo.
Tuwing pasko lagi kaming may exchange gift ng family namin
sa Putol. Actually, nagbububnutan pa lang pala kami pag Pasko tapos new year
kami nageexchange gift. It’s always been fun and kilala pag Tiopez family yung
regalong ibibigay e kalokohan muna bago yung tunay na regalo. Nanjan yung
magbabalot kami mga sirang gamit, nag originate talaga yan nung 1994. Tandang
tanda ko yun kasi si Papa nung binigyan nya ko ng regalo, nasa maliit na balot.
I was so excited being a 7-year-old kid sa loob loob ko ano kaya to? Tapos pag
bukas ko ang laman isang fastener na bulok at lumang baterya. Mangiyak ngiyak
ako. Little did I know, is the real gift. Sineset up lang pala ako ni Papa.
Nasa dirty kitchen pala yung regalo nya. Bike. BMX. Usong-uso yun non. May
sticker pa na iron eagle. And that ladies and gentlemen, during that time.
Sobrang saya ko. I think for me as a kid that was the greatest gift that I ever
got from Papa. Ngayon kasi kapag hiningan mo ng regalo sasabihn lang nya “Aba
pinaglalaba na nga kita ng damit e.” Mga kapatid, sinisegue ko kayo para sa
ating 2nd point. It’s somehow connected to our first point kaya
let’s go back to our verse. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son.
Mga kapatid, our second point is, The Greatest Gift Ever.
Sabi ni Jim Brickman, it’s not the flowers, wrapped in fancy
paper, it’s not the ring I wear around my finger, There’s nothing in the world
I need when I have you hear beside me, here beside me..♫So
you could give me wings to fly…love song po yun mga kapatid. Sinulat ni Jim
Brickman. Hindi naman natin para questionin kung para sa kanya, the greatest
gift of all ay ang love ng kanyang partner. Marahil kayo din, mahal na mahal
nyo yung mga partners nyo. Sino po dito yung mahal na mahal nyo ang partner
nyo? Sino dito yung hindi na mahal ang partner nyo? O wag nyo ng itaas
ngagbibiro lang ako.
Emerson once said.Hind po ako yan ha. Kasi Glen Emerson ako
e. Pero dun galing pangalan ko talaga. Hindi rin si Em-Em yan. Pero Ralph Waldo
Emerson, isang poet ang sabi nya, "the greatest gift is the portion of
thyself" if you give to the point of self-sacrifice, now you’re getting to
the greatest of gifts. Kapag ikaw ay nagbigay ng regalo, kapag naggugol ka ng oras
mo o nagbigay ka ng sakripisyo para sa regalo na ipinagkaloob mo, nasa level ka
ng greatest gift. Ayan ang sabi ni Emerson. Nasa lebel ka ng mga dakilang
regalo kapag nagbigay ka ng portion ng sarili mo. Pero mga kapatid, ito po ang
maganda, ito pong gift na nasa title natin. The Greatest Gift of all Time, is
not the gift na tinutukoy ni Emerson because the Greatest Gift of All Time is not
a portion of someone but the greatest gift of all when God gave himself for you
and for me. not in part but in the whole. Hindi ko alam kay Jim Brickman, pero
I think that’s the greatest gift of all.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth. Jesus Christ took the form of man. The Bible teaches
us that Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that ever given to mankind.
The Bible speaks of Jesus as an equal person to the trinity
but one of his titles is the only begotten son
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us,
because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through him. Now in a human level, to think of giving our sons or one of your
children parang ang hirap maarok o maunawan. Si Basti nga, yung anak ni Mark
yung pinsan ko. Hndi ko nga anak yun pero
kapag binabalik naming sya sa Carmona sa lola nya ang lungkot lungkot
namin. Halos ayaw naming siya ibalik e. To think about sacrificing your own
son, to think about Abraham raising the knife on Isaac to think of that faith,
to think of that sacrifice. Pero ang Diyos Ama, na hindi nasusukat ng oras at
nasa kanila ang kawalanghangganan na kafellowship ang Diyos Anak willingly gave
His only begotten Son for us to die on the cross is the greatest love that
you’ll ever know and the greatest gift that you’ll ever receive.
1John 10:14-18
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known
of mine.15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down
my life for the sheep.16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down
my life, that I might take it again.18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it
down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father.
Don’t be confused about the title na only begotten son and
misunderstand. As what we have read, Jesus possess all the attributes of deity
for as the son of God he was also God in the flesh. But if you come to think
about the relationship of God the Father and God the Son you think of how great
this gift is because of who Jesus was and what He did offering Himself for our
sins
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Wala po akong subpoint sa point number 2 but I hope it is
clear why it is the greatest gift ever.
Now we got the Greatest Love Ever, The Greatest Gift Ever
and lastly, basahin natin uli yung verse natin. 16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.
Point number 3 mga kapatid. The Greatest Choice Ever.
What good is a gift if you’re not gonna accept it?
Last week mga
kapatid, nanalo ako ng Uniqlo GC nung nagpalaro si preacher Jan-jan. Disclosure
lang po. Ako po ang nagisip na ipalaro yun, at ako din po ang nagisip na kami
po ang sasali at ako din po ang nag-isip ng premyo pero hindi po luto na ako
ang nanalo. Pinaghirapan ko po ang aking pagkapanalo. Pero what good is that Uniqlo
GC if I’m not gonna go to UNIQLO and use it to buy stuff from them? Parang
isang pirasong papel lang yon. Ganun din po sa nanalo ng P200 GC sa Happy Lemon.
Wala pong silbi yun kung hindi kayo pupunta sa store ng Happy Lemon at oorder
ng drink gamit yung GC. Sino po ba yung nanalo non? Sa Festival Mall po may
Happy Lemon.
We make a lot of choices in life every day. Small decisions
like ano ba uulamin, papasok ba ko ngayon medyo tinatamad ako. Big decisions also like, anong course ba
kukuhanin ko, sya ba ang papakasalan ko, mangingibang bansa ba ako. Dito ba ako
titira. And as we go through life we will encounter a lot of choices. But
there’s no greater choice but the choice we make when we’re presented the
opportunity to receive Christ as our savior. Look at that verse For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. A few weeks ago sa Sunday
School tinackle natin yung TULIP ng Calvinism. Medyo mainit na diskusyunan kung
alam ba ng Diyos kung sinong tatanggap o sinong hindi tatanggap ang katotohan
mga kapatid sya ay Diyos at alam nya ang lahat. Eto pa ang katotohanan, hindi
natin alam kung sino ang tatanggap o hindi tatanggap at di natin alam kung ano
ang alam ng Diyos ito lang ang alam ko, He loves everybody. Romans 10:13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Yung salitang
whosoever. Kahit sino. Walang bawal. Naalala ko 3 or 4 years ago may palabas sa
activity center ng Glorietta sa gitna. Mg a kantahan. Gusto naming manood ni
Camille.pero bago ka makapasok kelangan meron kang resibo na binili mo anywhere
sa Glorietta worth P500. E gusto namin manood ni Camille e wala naman kami
binili. So ginawa naming naglibot libot kami kung saan saan sa glorietta ng mga
resibo na kahit nasa basurahan na basta worth P500. Hanggang pagpunta namin don
para papasukin kami kasi may resibo na kami e. Puno na daw. Ok, sa labas na
lang tayo manood sayang effort namin sa paghahanap ng resibo. I’m glad, that’s
not how God operates heaven. “ah puno na. hindi na pwede pumasok.” “ah hindi
kayo pwede pumasok kasi hindi baman kayo bumili ng worth P500.” God loves
everyone of us red,yellow,black,brown white we’re all precious in His sight and
he says whosoever will may come. Sino ang masaya dahil tayo ay pinagpala ng
ganoong pag-ibig ng Panginoon? The greatest choice we will ever make is to be
one of the whosoevers. Notice the last phrase, whosever believeth in Him, to
put our total reliance in Him. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God. Tonight, bisperas ng pasko magbabatian
tayo ng Merry Christmas, magbibigayan ng regalo. Some of you may not receive a
gift at all who knows. But whatever gifts you receive this Christmas, there is
no greater gift you’ll ever receive but the acceptance of Jesus Christ in your
heart as your personal Lord and Saviour. And regardless
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