Sunday, December 26, 2010

Follwing the Wise Men

Matthew 2.1-12
These Magi or Wise Men were probably astrologers/astronomers from Persia, which today is called Iran. They were spiritual leaders, honorable men, skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural sciences. They were obviously on a quest for the Truth.
From this brief account in Matthew's Gospel we can glean some wonderful truths for our lives. In many ways these Magi stand as examples for followers of Christ Jesus.
No doubt they were influenced by God's people. Ezekiel and Daniel both prophesied from the area they came from when they were in exile. In fact it may have very well been Daniel's prophecy about the date of the command to rebuild the temple and the coming of the Messiah that had those men looking to the heavens for something special and they found it! "We have seen His Star in the east."
There were three gifts so tradition and songs has led us to believe there were three wise men. Not very likely. They followed the star. That meant some night. travel. Night travel was very dangerous. Marauders waited for their prey. There was more like an entourage of 100's, along with guards and attendants. With such expensive gifts they would have needed protection and being wise would have brought it along.
A trip of at least 600 miles more like 750- 800 put their arrival to when Jesus was between 18 months and 2 years. We place them in the Nativity but they weren't there that first night. They were several countries away!
It is even possible that that Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth and on a subsequent visit for a feast like Passover(we know they were devout and went to Jerusalem each year for it) and while they were staying in Bethlehem with relatives the Wise men came.
The wise men were Gentiles. These who were the first recorded to worship Christ were "unclean" shepherds and Gentile Aristocrats from Persia/Babylon.
What lessons are there as we follow those wise men?

1. They were seeking Christ.
That is why you are here today in this church- not because of spectacular music- we don't have any; not because of special technological effects- we are still in the 20th century. certainly not because of a pulpit giant. You are here because you love Christ and you love each other and God's Word is given.
Religious - The scribes were and indifferent
Government- Herod was hostile
The wise men seek Him.

2. The Magi traveled a long distance in their pursuit of Christ.
from the east
They inconvenienced themselves.
Church on Christmas Eve
Intercessory prayer
Short term mission trips
Fasting
Sacrificial Giving
Serving the LORD!

3. The Wise Worship Christ v.2,11
They wanted to worship the true God
Worship= to kiss the hand in token of reverence.
to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead

4. The wise give gifts to Christ. v.11b
They were further along than some believers today- The Gimme Song Randy Coryell
Lets' look in 2011 what we can give to Christ!

5. The wise listen to God speak -v.12
His Warning
His Word
His Will

Over 100 years ago this month Orville and Wilbur Wright telegraphed their sister back home in Dayton Ohio, from Kittyhawk. Their message read, "First sustained flight- 59 seconds. Home for Christmas." Their sister excitedly took this historic news to the local newspaper editor, who copied every word into his pad. The next day the paper ran a small note reporting, "The Wright Brothers, popular local bicycle mechanics due home for the holidays" Needless to say the editor missed the biggest news story of his entire career. Fast forward to today- in spite of the economy and Wikileaks, the big news this month is "God with us." 2,000 years ago, in a borrowed barn, God swung human history on a hinge while the news of that day was... what?
Go Tell it this year- Let your light shine! People need Jesus! And He is here!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Son Of God Appearing

John 1.1-18
I am continually amazed by computers and the things they can do. In 1990 I went back to college and took a course called Intro to Computers.

The things we dreamed of a few years ago are now reality today. Video clips sent over the phone lines. The things we can see on a computer screen are amazing. Yet what goes on behind the screen in the hardware of that machine is so much more amazing.

What we see in the Nativity is Divine Simplicity. Luke probably interviewed Mary for inclusion of the details of Jesus' Birth in his gospel.

John's first view of his gospel are very deep. While Luke gives us the physical description of Nativity, the John describes for us the spiritual terms of Christ Coming into the world.

What were are told about the Son of God here makes have awe and wonder.

1. Christ Jesus And The Father. v.1-2

They along with the Holy Spirit have always been.

Micah 5.2 But you Bethlehem, Ephratah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come One for Me who will be Ruler over Israel Whose Origins are from of old, from days of Eternity.

v.1 The Word is God

v.2 The Word was with God in the beginning

Jesus said (John 14)

v.9 Anyone who has seen Me has the Father

v.10 I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.

Isaiah said one of the names of Jesus would be Everlasting Father. You cannot have eternal Fatherhood without Eternal Sonship. If we don't grasp this we don't got a correct view of the Father.

His Hand on our shoulder.

The Son of God appearing shows us the Father and that He and His Son Jesus Christ are one, it also shows us...

2. Christ Jesus is the True Light of the World. vs.3-9

Spiritual and Intelligent illumination come from Him. He is the Truth.

Christ makes clear the Meaning and Destiny of Life. Life's end is right when He is in our hearts.

While He has all the answers He dies give all the answers. That is good.

He made all things-v.3

He is the Life-v.4

Out of that life come Light. He is both. He is the Answer and He satisfies. He does not let us down.

The Son of God Appearing...

3. The Word Became Flesh vs.10-18

You must have faith. -v.12

v.14 His Glory- 2.11 Christ reveals His glory in miracles in every day life. Cana much smaller than Bethlehem!

His Grace

His Giving- one blessing after another.

Jesus, the Word became flesh, the only begotten of the Father

Not a Theophany or a Christophany (like with Abraham, Jacob and Daniel) but God in man residing! I Peter 1.10-12

The Parable of the Birds

Joy To The World The LORD Is Come!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Bethlehem, A Wonderful City

Luke 2.1-20

The choice of Bethlehem for the birthplace of the Messiah was predicted by Micah (5.1-5a) hundreds of years before the event took place.

God chose Bethlehem, the smallest (little, insignificant) among the cities of Judah but no means least (in importance).

1. God Chooses To Work Through Insignificant People and Places.

Bethlehem verifies that.

When I received word early Friday morning of Katharina having the stroke, I though immediately of all this dear person did for this church. Her hands were used to make outfits for the children among many other things. This Thursday night a the nursery school Christmas Pageant the children will all be wearing the costumes she designed and made by her own hands. A true labor of love for nearly 20 years the children of Good Shepherd Nursery School have enjoyed these gifts.

That night the world, save a few shepherds, was unaware of what was happening. Even Herod, did not find out until the wise men probably 18months to 2 years later told him about it when they came to worship the Baby Jesus.

If we judge significance according to size we are missing the mark. I'm rereading the book about Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken With the Things That Break the Heart of God. I took it with me to China last spring. One of the things he wanted to accomplish in inviting the reporter who wrote the book along on a trip was to let people know of the heroes of insignificant places in Asia. His desire was fulfilled.

If you are feeling insignificant or like you're an unimportant person today you are either being used by God or a prime candidate to be used by Him.

2. Bethlehem was/is the City of David.

Remember how he was chosen? I Samuel 16
Jesse had 8 sons- 7 present Samuel was told to go anoint one.
v.11 Are these all the sons you have? - Samuel
Jesse- There is still the youngest but he is tending the sheep. The implication was: "Certainly you would not anoint the youngest, a shepherd by to Israel's king?!"
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him.

We see by the Psalms and his life that David was a man of prayer and the Word of God.
The Shepherd boy became Israel's most beloved king.
The Good Shepherd became the King of kings, the Savior of the World.
Both were born in Bethlehem.

3. That is How God Chooses People to Work Through Today.

The extremely talented often trip over those talents and other issues.
Pauls' testimony I Corinthians 1.26-2.5
Luke 12.32 gives us Jesus' perspective on church size.
The Widow's mite and the Feeding of the 5,000 with a lad's lunch shows how God uses small seemingly insignificant things and how He views them.
When a church or person promotes themselves it has drunk the poison of its own death, moving out of the line of its Leader and LORD and where He was born and how He came and what He is about.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That makes it wonderful.



PLEASE BE PATIENT

Because of our ISP problems this morning The Sunday Morning Message will be posted later in the day. We apologize.
Have a blessed LORD's Day!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Names of Jesus

Matthew 1.18-25

We pick names to honor a loved one. For instance my grandson's middle name is Mark, in memory of my brother. Sometimes we honor the living with a namesake. My dad and I share the same name except that I am a junior.

In Ancient Israel names were chosen for different reasons. Their choice of a name for a baby had to do with what they believe that baby was to become or to describe a characteristic at birth.

David= beloved. He became Israel's most beloved king
Jacob= heal grasper or supplanter. He came out of his mother's Rebekah's womb grasping onto the heel of his brother Esau.

The father was responsible for naming the son at the time of circumcision on the 8th day. Mary (Luke 1.31) and Joseph were told what Jesus was to be named. Joseph carried out the directions of Our Father in heaven, Jesus' Father when he gave Him the Name Jesus.

Jesus= Greek form of Joshua, which means The LORD saves/Jehovah is salvation.
His name described and describes His Life and Ministry. His Name is above all names.

There are many other names the Son Of God, Jesus Christ, is called One is here in our scripture reading this morning:

1. IMMANUEL -v.23
God with us- With us is God
John 3.2 Nicodemus said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." He is with us today. None of us would be here today if God were not with us! We would not have hope if it were not for Immanuel!

Isaiah 9.6-7 Isaiah tells us what Jesus will be called. Again the Names reflect the Person. They describes Who He is and What He does.

2. WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
Wonderful= marvel, extraordinary, hard to understand
Counselor= advisor, consultant, conspire*
Isaiah 8.12-13 Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls conspiracy; do not fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear. He is the One you are to dread.
*Visit to Pastor Joshua- Anka was the person they had to see first. They said it was like an angel.

3. MIGHTY GOD
The only true God strong and brave.
He can do anything. This Christmas 8 million children are going to receive Christmas Shoe boxes this year telling them that Baby born in the manger 2,000 years ago loves them.
Might God- He can calm the storm when His children are in them or He can calm His children when they go through the storm.
He has kept His people strong in times of great pain, sorrow, loss and sickness.
Luke 1 Zechariah and Mary- The priest lacks faith and questions God's Word while the maiden in Nazareth believes it.

4. EVERLASTING FATHER
Perpetual, Forever, continual existence
Head or Founder of family or household. Protector
Last Sunday my niece and nephews were here- their dad is in heaven. I have seen that verse in Psalm 68.5 work out in their lives. "A father to the fatherless, a defender f widows, is God in His Holy Dwelling."
He is Our Father in Heaven.
Day By Day by Carolina Sandell-Berg contains lines like "Trusting in my Father;s wise bestowment... the protection of His child and treasure... Help me LORD when toil and trouble meeting, E'er to take as from a Father's Hand, one by one, the days the moments fleeting, till I reach the Promised Land."

5. PRINCE OF PEACE
Prince=leader, overseer, Captain/Commander
Peace= Shalom= completeness, soundness, safety, health, prosperity, tranquillity
Now in our hearts and minds- John 16.33, Philippians 4.6-7
One day in heaven forever.

All these and many more are the names of Jesus!