Wise men Seek Jesus

Good morning, my name is Shane Sibley, and I’m the Pastor here at Central Baptist Church.

I’d like to welcome all our guests here today!

And I’d like to say hello to everyone watching this online.

…we know most people will check us out online before they ever visit

…so, we look forward to seeing you soon…

INTRODUCTION (10 minutes)

Jab 1:

Good morning, and welcome to 2023. How many of you here this morning have made a New Year’s resolution for the coming year? Today is the fist day of the year, and even if you don’t start to fulfill that resolution today, you can always start tomorrow, or Tuesday, or February.

Making a resolution for the year at hand, I think is a good thing. It gives you something to shoot for, a goal to chase. I for one make the SAME new year’s resolution every year. I don’t resolve to lose weight, or to be healthier. I don’t resolve to start a new hobby or obtain any new interest, even though I could probably use one. I don’t resolve to mend relationships or be a better friend. All of those are good resolutions to make, and if you have made a similar resolution for this coming year, I wish you all the best in your endeavor.

The reason I don’t make these resolutions is because I know myself entirely too well. I know that I’ve never really been goal setter, I know, shame on me. I know that I’m more of live in the here and now, live in the moment type of person. That’s just my personality. I work hard to make things happen. I work diligently to be successful in whatever I take on. But, I’m not really one to set goals. If I get there, when I get there, If and when I’m successful…I get there because in the moment I decided to work hard at it.

Honestly, if I can be fully transparent with you as my family, setting goals stresses me out. I prefer to work hard in the moment for what I’m doing at that moment. One successful moment, tied to another successful moment, leads to overall success. The way to win the game, is to win THIS play; THIS down; THIS series. If you tack a successful play onto the end of other successful plays, and you repeat this process, you win the game. When something bad happens, you let it roll off your back and go win the next play. My objective is excellence and success in all things through working to make RIGHT NOW successful.

For some, that philosophy doesn’t work for you; and that’s ok; for me it does. I will always get the job done, but I’m probably going to procrastinate in every moment until I face self-imposed stress that makes me work harder in that moment.

So, back to the New Year’s resolution I make every year. “I resolve NOT to make any New Year’s resolutions. Therefor, by making that resolution, I break that resolution; thus, I no longer have to worry about it.”

Jab 2:

In order to work like that though, you must know what you are looking for. You don’t work completely blind; you must have a focus and a direction, but the steps to get there aren’t so rigid and your focus and direction could change. You gotta KNOW where you’re going while FOCUSING on where you are and what you are doing right now. You gotta know WHERE YOU ARE, where you are GOING, while focusing on RIGHT NOW. See the ball, but keep your head on a swivel.

In coaching the game of basketball, I focused on defensive play; and this phrase “See the ball, see your man, but keep your head on a swivel,” was constantly repeated. We played a man-on-man defense; you have that guy; your job is to guard that guy wherever he goes on the floor. Keep your eye on him. BUT you also have several other things you need to be watching for at the same time. You need to know where the ball is at all times. You need to know and see who may be coming to set a pick on you at all times. You need to know where your teammates are at all times. There’s a lot of things going on, but you need to see the ball, see your man, and keep your head on a swivel.

While you see your man, and see you the ball, IF something happens that SHOULD cause you to change your course of action, and you don’t see it because you didn’t have your head on a swivel, you’re not going to win the play. You must have wisdom enough to know that even though you see your man and see the ball, sometimes something will show up in your VISION (key word) that makes you change your path; makes you change your direction, makes you change your focus; makes you change your purpose; but you must know WHAT you are looking for, and have your head on a swivel in order to see it; or see it coming.

The goal is to win the game, but we must win this play first, so see your man, see the ball, keep your head on a swivel and be prepared to change your direction.

Right Hook:

Today, the first Sunday after Christmas, and the first day of the new year, we’re going to look at a group of men that were doing exactly that. They were focused on their objective, but at the same time they saw something that would change them forever; and when they saw it, they were prepared to move.

EXPLANATION (10 minutes)

Scripture:

Matthew 2:1-12

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”

9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

I want to preach a message this morning entitled, “Wise Men Seek Jesus”