Matthew 2:1-12 "What Wil You Do"

Matthew 2:1-12 “What Will You Do”

INTRODUCTION: The after Christmas questions are here, how do I fit this chicken napkin holder into my sailing theme kitchen? Where could I wear this sweater, and have no one see me? Should I just return this? Can I just re-rap this and send it to uncial Joe? You know this thing you sent us for Christmas, what is it? Should we just stop giving gifts to our brothers, sister, and friends? What do I do with Jesus? Where or how does Jesus fit into my life? That is the question of the Magi.

1. WHO THE MAGI WERE

A. WISE MEN, PREIST IN PERSIA,

B. POLITICAL RULERS WHO CORINATED THE KINGS OF PERSIA

C. PERSIA HAD BEATEN ROME AND TOOK JERSULAM FROM THEM

D. IT TOOK A 3 YEAR WAR TO GAIN HEROD BACK HIS THRONE

E. WHAT DISTURBES HEROD IS THAT THEY CAME TO WORSHIP OR CROINATE A KING.

2. THEY FOLLOWED A STAR

A. THEY HAD SEEN IN THE EAST (SEEN FROM THE EAST)

B. A SPECIAL STAR FOR ALL STARS MOVE WITH THE ORBIT AND ROTATION OF THE EARTH.

C. THIS STAR IS VISIBLE FOR A LONG TIME, SEEN, DESIDE IT’S MEANING, COMPUTE IT’S PATH, PREPAIR FOR THE TRIP, TRAVLE 400 – 500 MILES

D. HEROD KILLS ALL THE CHILDREN 2 YEARS AND YOUNGER, NO DOUBT KILLING THOSE A YEAR OLDER THAN JESUS JUST TO BE SURE.

E. THEN IT IS GONE AND NEVER SEEN AGAIN

3. WHAT THEY FOUND AND DID

A. WHAT THEY EXPECTED, A MONTH OLD TO ONE YEAR OLD BOY

B. GAVE HIM CORINATION GIFTS

C. PROTECTED HIM BY GOING HOME ANOTHER WAY

D. WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY DID IS ALL RECORDED FOR US

4. WHAT WILL YOUR RECORD SAY

A. WHO IS JESUS TO YOU, FICTION, HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS, SAVOUR?

B. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH HIM? PUT AWAY TILL NEXT YEAR, WORSHIP, FOLLOW?

C. WHAT WILL YOU GIVE HIM? MONEY, SPARE TIME, YOUR RESPECT, YOUR LOVE, YOUR LIFE?

CONCLUSION: What we do with Jesus is recorded. Recorded in the hearts, minds, and lives of our families, our children and grandchildren. Recorded in the people we share life with at school and work. Recorded in the people we see each day and the people we meet only once in our lives. What will we do with Jesus? What will we give Him? What will the record of our life say? We must choose wisely for it is our story to write.

John 1:1-14

John 1:1-14 “From the Beginning”

INTRODUCTION:

GOD KNEW

A. FROM THE BEGINNING

In Gen 1 God creates and it is all good yet God knows so John starts his Gospel there in the beginning and not in Bethlehem.

B. ADAM AND EVE WOULD CHOOSE TO DISOBEY

God knew that though the garden was a wonderful and perfect place there was danger there in allowing Adam and Eve a choice. He knew they would disobey, and hide from Him.

C. MANKIND’S SINFUL NATURE AND WHAT IT WOULD BRING

God knew that people would destroy and distort His creation. That we would be cruel and hurtful to each other. God knew that many if not most of the people who ever lived would reject Him and His love.

D. YOUR OWN ACTIONS AND CHOICES

Psalm 139 God has known before you were born the choices you would make. He knows the sinful things you have done and the ones you will do. He knows how you have forgotten Him in the past and how you will forget Him in the future.

GOD CHOSE

A. THE LOGICAL CHOICE WOULD BE NOT TO CREATE HUMANS

Many people think God made a mistake creating humans. He should make us behave, stop people from sinning, or kill all the bad people. But God did not want you to be a robot he wanted you to be free. And since at one point or another we are all bad people killing off all the bad ones would mean us too.

B. PARENTS AND PARENTING

We know they cry half the night, have dirty dippers, and we will have to carry enough equipment for a small army everywhere we go for their first couple of years. We know they will skin their knees and get hurt, go through childhood diseases and face dangers every day of their life. They will get their hearts broken and maybe even break ours. They may choose to love us and they may not. Yet we choose to have children. We don’t make them into robots or tie them up so they will behave or lock them away under protective doors. At some point we let them go on their own and make their own choices and pray they are good ones. Like God in the beginning we made a choice.

C. TO LOVE, TO DIE, TO FORGIVE

D. TO MAKE YOU CHILDREN OF GOD

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

A. GOD HAD A PLAN

B. GOD STILL HAS A PLAN

C. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL

CONCLUSION: This year as you set up the manger scene or walk past one, as you read the Christmas story together as a family, send someone a card, or listen to favorite Christmas Carol, remember that the true meaning of Christmas is that God choose to love you before the world began. He chooses to still love you today, and will continue to love you tomorrow.

Isaiah 42:1-7 light in our darkness

Isaiah 42 is a rich chapter of the Bible. You notice from the start the words proclaimed by God from heaven at the baptism of Jesus. Later when Jesus is asked by John the Baptist “are you the one? Jesus’ answer includes fulfillment of Isaiah 42, “The blind see and the Deaf hear.” This is a chapter that tells of the great mercy of God, the rejection of God by Israel, and the judgment of being concurred and taken into exile. In verse 42:4 the continents of the earth are mentioned. Today I want to focus on sight and light. All around us are lights especially this time of year. Three lights, store lights, house lights. I have to wonder if all these artificial lights keep us from seeing the true light of Jesus in our world. Verse 6 and 7 hold great promise to our world and to us.

1. TO OPEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND

A. WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF BLINDNESS

B. FLASHLIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, NEON LIGHTS

C. A BLINDNESS OF THE HEART

D. A BLINDNESS OF SPIRIT

E. A BLINDNESS OF THE MIND

F. 1 COR 2:14

G. JOHN 16:12-15

2. SET FREE THOSE IN A PRISON OF DARKNESS

A. WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS

a. ECONOMIC

b. POLITICAL

c. SOCIAL

d. EMOTIONAL

e. FLOOD AND FAMINE AND DISEASE

B. EPH 6:12 OUR FIGHT “DARK WORLD”

3. REFLECTING THE LIGHT

A. SPEAKING IN PARABLES MATTHEW 13:13-16

B. BLESSED WITH VISSION

C. REFLECTING THE LIGHT

CONCLUSION: What will we do with what we have seen? Is there a part of your life where you have been blind to God? Is there a place where you have not let the light of Jesus transform you? A relationship, a habit, your job, at school, friendships? Let Jesus transform them, you, today.

Have you been living surrounded by darkness? Friends, coworkers, people at school, or family that surround you with darkness and hold you like a prison? The dark dungeon of the past or the prison of abuse? No matter what prison holds you or dark dungeon you are in Jesus has the key to the locks and the door. Step into the light of forgiveness, reflect the light of God’s grace.