Epiphany-Nativity-Incarnation

every year this is a hard sermon for me to give whenever I give it because this time of year is a time of a lot of conflict. in Christian families Am I talking about between Christians kind of sometimes? Yes. Am I talk to you about families within families? Absolutely. Anyone have a conversation in the last few weeks with family members that they didn't disagree that they completely disagreed with. No, just me. Yeah a couple of us.

Family's family. We've got a responsibility to family to kind of try to preserve the unity and the body of Christ. We have a kind of responsibility to try to preserve the unity rather than cause. Division so that's kind of what? kind of want the sermons about why did I pick this particular beginning slide? Got to go back to it. How it goes back to itself welcome. We're glad you're here.

What am I really esteemed memories in the season was? It was a dimly lit room there might have been some Christmas lights glowing. I don't know there might have been a Christmas tree. I don't know but I noticed that my father and my mother were looking at each other and they have love for each other in their eyes.

I will never be the same. There's nothing better than kids to see the love of their parents for each other. It's it's a defining moment. And if you don't have a moment like that, it's there somewhere buried in the difficulties of family. It's still their father still love Mother's mother still do fathers, even if it doesn't show and kids need to experience that so as hard as you can in this season to demonstrate family love for one another it's a it's a wonderful thing. There's nothing more important in this season then some kind of sense of unity in this regard. So this particular slideshows a candle, that's burning and why did I put it there because One of my earliest Christmas Memories of all, my father was kind of a grinch. He did not believe in putting up Christmas trees at all until December 24th. Everyone else in the world had Christmas trees up the we did not we had no Christmas trees up until December 24th. I have no idea why he did this, but he was very strict about it. And so we didn't do anything, but my mother every year put candles in the windows.

Why?

Why do Jews put candles out at Hanukkah do they put the candles out to show the world to demonstrate that their Jews? kind of Okay, who celebrated Hanukkah this year? Did you Light One Candle on the first night and then subsequent nights you out of the candle? What if you came to someone's house and they lit the candles on the first night and each night. Thereafter. Let one less what would you think of that person?

They're backwards. They're stupid. They got the wrong idea. Right? Would you think that? Not necessarily first century. If you let one candle the first night you were following the tradition of hilal. If you let all the candles the first night you were following the tradition of shumai

Such conflict. Yet Unity.

Christian Body of Christ such conflict yet Unity

We don't need the agree on everything. We can light the candles backwards. We can celebrate a completely different season for Christ birth. It doesn't matter. The important thing is unity of the body of Christ.

my mother put candles And the window for one reason.

She said when we put candles in the window, we're telling everyone outside. You're welcome here.

You can come in.

That was for signal.

So whenever I light a candle. And I put it anywhere near the front windows. That's what I'm saying. So we have 18 candles LED Z. I know. six in each window 18 y 18 Rob Try it spells it suck. Hey, you'd you'd hey. Hi. Hey, you'd high life. And it says I'm celebrating life ate the number 18 is life. If you get a donation from me every you'll you'll find it's usually in in multiples of 18. Just for that reason. Why did you send me $54?

Now, you know so welcomed the candles in the window. We're glad you're here.

This is always meant something to me pretty deeply. So today we're talking about I chose to not talk about Nativity. We already covered that I were talking about Incarnation what and when what is Incarnation? What's Incarnation mean?

Don't know Rob. The embodiment of God God embodied here. When did the Incarnation happen? Huh? A roughly four BC fine. We got a date. That's very good Terry.

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and that was the Incarnation or his birth. When she became pregnant or when she was when he was born which one?

Huh? Yes.

We have we have I guess we have people who are pro-life and pro-choice portion in this congregation, right? That is exactly what this issue is. If you believe this is the Incarnation God and Mary then you're pro-life. God was in Mary. very quick and then she grew a little bit and had a baby 9 months later, roughly. Give or take if you believe the Incarnation is at Birth, you're following the Roman tradition that the seizures followed when they said I'm God. I became God the day. I was born that's the idea that life begins at Birth know the Incarnation of God became a long time before that. Yes, Mike.

You were with me even in my mother's womb. Amen.

I only have 15 minutes.

kind of in a rush go ahead. You can finish.

Those in favor of Mike doing that raise your hands.

What's the Incarnation of God in human form when we discussed it Epiphany? What's epiphany mean?

I got it right there being made manifest. Manifest to who?

To the world. Okay. So is Epiphany at the wise men coming or is it when the shepherds are there or is it when Jesus baptized or is that the cross when is Epiphany?

they're all epiphanny has a pronounced differently, but Peppa Santa's, they're all at the fantus. So at this time of the year, we have all kinds of people all over the world celebrating all kinds of epiphanies.

Wiseman birth baptism all kinds of craziness revealing revealing a slightly different The Epiphany is to a limited number of people or things Etc Lee revealing is wider. Christ is revealing himself. God is revealing himself to all the nations of the world. It didn't happen. When three guys showed up with gold frankincense and more or 20. We don't know how many wise men there were but making publicly known this is kind of are these three things the same? kind of the kind of the same kind of like that does baptism occur when you immerse or are sprinkled on when someone lays hands on you or when you publicly receive or when the Holy Spirit in inhabits you when does baptism occur? Yes, what's the order? The Bible has different orders for baptism. All these things are happening. It's one thing God is revealing himself. In a womb to a limited number of people to the whole world and it's going on. That's the plan. It's going on. Hallelujah

issues of the season the season were in we have some issues and these I come up I come up with every year and I think How do I teach this body Unity? Don't sow Discord what if we disagree? That's okay. Don't sow Discord. What if we have different celebrations? That's okay. Don't sow Discord get along say that's good.

Reply a nice thing to them.

Enough said darkest before the dawn. This is the darkest time of year the 21st. Was it the winter solstice? So that the night get longer the days get shorter all the way until the winter solstice and the nights get shorter and the days get longer and that's a really good thing. It's a really good thing and this tradition of darkest before the dawn. It's something that it's part of our culture It's always darkest before the dawn. We always hear that Incarnation Epiphany revealing for the three parts are going to talk about the wrist celebrations worldwide bodily unit Unity. What can we celebrate? What is it that we can celebrate and who can we celebrate it with these are questions. I have every year every year as long as we share some common beliefs. We can share something of value. I put that there because this is not just an issue for the church. This is an issue for families as long as we can share something of value. We can shirt with as long as we have some common belief. We can share something of value. I just had a get-together with my nephew who is ultra Ultra liberal and they came to visit me and my wife coming back from my sister's house, and we always have major conversations.

And this year was just like every other time I've ever seen him and it's wonderful to get together and talk with him and try to provide some sense of truth that they can receive and so we have to have something, before I can share some truth with them. And so we did and it was wonderful. Issues of the season for followers of Yeshua know this isn't to Stanley's some common beliefs. We share he came he died for our sins Heroes. He ascended he rules and Reigns he gave us his Spirit. He lives in US basic Christian stuff

if we can share these things or most of them. We got something in common that we can share with other believers other followers of Yeshua bother Unity. Why is that so big so don't start Discord Proverbs 6, there are six things the Lord hates seven that are an Abomination to him haughty eyes a lying tongue hands that shed innocent blood a heart that devices wicked schemes feet that run to do evil a false witness who breathes out lies and one who sows Discord among the Brethren six things. He hates 7 or Abomination which one is identified as an Abomination above the others. 7 one who sows Discord among the Brethren God does not like that. And every year at this season, I see Discord being some.

somewhere and I pray against it. Your conversation with the Coptic guy? That's an example you could you could say something. Unifying in the midst of it. You don't have to be in conflict over the issues that you disagree on. It's just just an idea particularly in the season, but all all through the year. So I don't know if you know this, but this is where we live today.

I don't recognize it. Yeah, downtown Dayton. I got a mark there at this is 95 C of like today. We have a drug store on every corner and Ephesus you had a temple in every corner and you could worship just about any God you wanted on just about any Corner in Ephesus some of these places. You can worship one God some some of them you could worship many gods and John wrote to the church the early Church of 1st 2nd 3rd, John and Revelation and Gospel of John arguably, but I'm mainly focusing on 1st 2nd 3rd, John 1st John, but he wanted to help them to be unified and in Body Mind and Spirit with the body of Christ in Ephesus, which is an impossible place to do that. It's impossible in our world to demonstrate bottle Unity. It's impossible in this world for us to demonstrate Christian love. No, it's not you just have to know how you're doing. And so we're in Ephesus. We're in this terrible Pagan place.

And it's okay cuz Christ is with us. So I'm going to be kind of leaning on John 1st. John 4 episodes about 95 c e a place much like ours John says test the spirits only trust and believe those that confess Jesus Christ came in the flesh and that he is Lord and God. Yeah that the over paraphrase. I know I added some words it does that doesn't change John's meeting at all. But I did have some words. Test the spirits only trust believe those who confess Jesus Christ came in the flesh. And is Lord and God. Let me check that out on the internet Rob see if that's right. Wait a minute does the internet confess Jesus Christ came in the flesh.

Got to be careful. It might have some good truth on it, but it might have some good mixed in with the truth. So test the spirits. Be careful. You live in Ephesus?

You're kind of leaning toward all kinds of things that aren't of God. Verse 13 by this we know that we abide in him and he in Us by this. We know we abide in him and he and us because I read it in the Bible know he has given us of his spirit. The presence of God's spirit in US helps us to know we abide in him and he in US Amen, and I can't I can't resist 1st John 4:7 and 8 beloved. Let us love one. Another for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and know it's God he that loveth not know it's not God for God is love beloved. Let us love one another 1st John 4:7 and 8. I need someone would join in with me. Thank you.

That's the body of Christ Living in Ephesus.

Don't show discords Paul goes on there schisms among you fractions, not fractions, but schisms breaking apart things differences are okay. We can have differences. They demonstrate genuineness. Yes, I paraphrase is grossly. But if you have a problem with that, you can talk to me later. There must be no schisms. That's the Greek word in the body member should have the same care for one another when one member suffers all suffer when one is honored all Rejoice together where there's a exist there will be disorder but wisdom from above is pure Peaceable gentle open to reason for mercy good fruits and partial and sincere a harvest of righteousness is sown by those who make peace. A harvest of righteousness is sown for those who make peace. Thank you Lord for that word. Anyone know what this is? Hagia Sophia, what's that?

It's it's arguably the world's largest church. It was the center of the Eastern Orthodox religion for 11 centuries until it was taken over by the Turks the ottoman Turks and it is now a museum. And the Turks wanted to be converted back into a mosque because it was a mosque after the Turks got it. The ottoman Turks got it, but it. It's kind of the route of Eastern Orthodoxy. I didn't show this because you guys are here but I think it's cool. John John would have identified with this place the teachings of John go forth from this place or did for 11 centuries. The guy who was the Apostle founding. This area was Andrew, I believe but John John was tight with the with the history and traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy darkest before the dawn second point this is a book called A Pisgah sight of Palestine and the confines thereof with a history of the Old and New Testament acted there in that's the title. Nice short title. Huh catchy. rolls right off the tongue Thomas Fuller 1650 Milton may have read this book. It was probably the earliest arguably the earliest the very first Bible Atlas ever printed pretty cool in it. He quotes darkest before the dawn or darkest before the dawn end of the day. It's always darkest before the dawn of the day. This is the first place we know where it's recorded in our literature. No, it isn't the ID is actually deeply rooted in biblical practice. God created the heavens and the Earth the Earth was chaos and waste Darkness was on the surface. God said let there be light called the daylight the light day in the darkness night evening and morning one day. You'll mcrad biblical month lunisolar. It always begins in the spring and it always begins when you can barely see the light starting back. That's when the month starts for the entire ancient world. dark Before Dawn Our Lives beginning Darkness they glow and sometimes they end in darkness. It's it's the pits like the cycle of life. This is brightness. The sun is light. Why do I say all this Malachi for one which was sunrise this morning. The son of righteousness shall arise with healing in correcting the song the song says his wings. It's wings.

Sun Before that though Malachi 4:1 behold, the day is coming burning like a furnace when the proud and the evildoers will be stubble that day. The Lord's the day that that the that the day that's coming will set them Ablaze the proud and the evil doers says the Lord of hosts burning up everything about them the roots and their branches will be completely destroyed but for you who fear my name The son of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings. You'll go out leaping like Calves from the stall. You'll trample the wicked ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I asked says Lord of hosts. You who fear my name the son of righteousness of the word. There is Shemesh in the Hebrew, which is sung. It's it's that it's the fairy thing in the sky. The Shemesh is no question. That's what the word is and okay. Well the Greeks must have had a different idea of an opilio those same words son or glowing bright Fire in the Sky Sun Sun of righteousness shall arise. Every year we have this. Well, you know, the reason that Christmas is when it is is because it's the winter solstice and the Romans the pagans celebrate at this and so we're going to we're going to make it a Christian holiday. Someone says this this happened who said this this happened a lot of people said it happened. Can I trust them? I don't know a lot of people who make things claim things happen the way they happen haven't actually done any research. They haven't looked for it. They haven't tried to figure it out. This so I brought a brand new biblical archaeology Review magazine just came out in December calculating Christmas. When did December 25th become Christmas? And this is the guy who used to sing that anti Carol him that Christmas didn't come at this time and it's an ancient pagan holiday says that in the article here. So I thought should be an interesting article to read so I read it whenever anything like this comes out. I read it. I don't always agree with him. But anyway, so Shemesh Helios, son few Bible verses he doesn't make these the Lord is like the sun. He brings warmth and prosperity to Believers. The Lord God is a sun and shield. He bestows favor and honor the Sun cause Jonah to be Faith the shunammite son died of a sunstroke and was raised again. The Lord protected men from the Sun striking. The sun is a blessing it helps Fields. Bring forth crops good rulers just rulers are liking to the Sun. They help they help there. Like they were out there like sun shining on the cloudless morning good rulers and the longevity of David's enjoying Throne is like the sun. few versus the bad thing Pagan drunken revelry isn't a good thing. Are we celebrating Pagan drunken revelry when we celebrate 25th of December is Christ's birth. No. No. Know if you are then you don't belong here. If you aren't then we might get along. We might have something good to talk about. So we're talking about Incarnation Epiphany revealing kind of backed all that whole theme again Incarnation talked about it. Axiom incarnating Christ conception in the womb both are possible birth of Jesus Terry set it since 200cc many dates have been proposed for Jesus birth date. Did they keep trying to come up with Jesus birth date after around 200, BC?

Because the seizures were celebrating their own birth dates and someone thought this might be a good idea to figure out when Jesus was born. Not that important because I believe this is the Incarnation.

but the seizures are the only ones who celebrate birthdays in the first century sets unimportant. This is an interesting thing. I found in this book. So this is what really Claim about Jesus birthday. This is hippolyta scan and chronic on his Cannon and chronic on were books that he wrote a calculate the Passover is etcetera and it's dated the 222 ad this is an almost certainly this is the oldest Christian art. That we have we have no Christian art earlier than this and carved on the side of this bench. It says that Jesus Genesis.

Was that the conception according to his idea was April 2nd 2 BC?

Conception April 2nd birth roughly nine months later. Give her take December 25th. So the earliest claim on December 20th 5th as Jesus birthday you'd have to say is hippolyta's but that's not the main point that he's making. He's making the main point about his conception. He's not arguing for the celebrate Jesus birth on 25th of December. He said this is when they think he was conceived. So we still don't know but it's an interesting thing to know. very early Christian art hippolyta syndrome. Can we trust this guy? It's kind of a weird guy John the Apostle died in Ephesus. He disciplined polycarp. Who was

disciplined

discipled we're at church of Messiah. We try to disciple we're not very fond of disciplining. Thank you. He disciple polycarp who wasn't martyred wonderful story of polycarb smarter than them and he disciple Darren as who probably was murdered. We don't know he was Greek and he discipled hippolyta's who was probably murdered but we don't know and he was Greek and hippolyta. I caused a lot of friction in Rome hippolyta, son of Rome. So wrong by this time had a kind of Pope. In the early church, there were five different Seas five different seats that people sat in and one of them was wrong and originally it was there all equal and there was a first among equals in the first among equals was Rome hippolyta's didn't like some of the things that the first among people equals L of the church in Rome Pope said and one of them the pope before and the Pope after he claimed they were monetus the monitors monitors them was identified as a heresy because they said that all three members of the Trinity are in Jesus. Now what what's the problem with that Rob?

There's a problem with it identified by the church fathers of Father. The Son is the son the holy spirit is the holy spirit. They're all God, but they're all distinct from each other. The father and the son have some distinction the father and the Holy Spirit have some distinction. How do we know that? Christ was crucified on the cross. Did God die that day. No. Did Christ die that day? Yes, there's some distinction. And you can study this until you're old and gray much older than me. I've said it a long time. There's some distinction when you say they're all the same. Just one your it's a heresy and so hippolyta's call the pope a heretic and he called the guy who followed him a heretic and he had one other problem the the church and Rome was really liking Latin. And are they had lots of versions of Latin Bibles going on at the same time, but hippolyta's did not like Latin he wrote in Greek. And that didn't get him into good stead with everyone and then the Pope's around that time decided that they could absolve grave sins.

If if that's if if if Max has done a terrible sin, he can talk to me and I can say I absolve you Mac. and hippolyta said

can't do that. You can Proclaim The Sims been forgiven by God, but you cannot absolve but the Pope's thought they could so I kind of like it the lightest even though he's a jerk. I mean.

Latin Bible is standardized and 382 which isn't that far from here, but at the time of hippolyta's there are lots of different Latin versions. It took a while for them to realize they needed to come up with one that works and that's what people itis is about self. What can we celebrate? We can celebrate a heck of a lot of things. We celebrate all these things. Except sometimes we don't celebrate the Nativity because people are offended by it, but we should celebrate them all when I don't know what day I don't know but they're all celebrate humble. They're all biblical. Throw written about in our Bible.

Praise God we can celebrate them all. Who can we celebrate income? Who can we celebrate with? Well, there's something other than a lot of people who in here thinks. We're a Messianic only Fellowship.

Good. We're not if you come here because you think this is a Messianic Fellowship your right which Christian Church is not, Messianic.

every Christian churches, Messianic Which Jewish synagogue is not, Messianic? They're all Messianic. They proclaimed it in their daily Creed. They believe there's a messiah. They look forward to his coming if they don't believe in public, but privately they believed it publicly Christians and Jews are Messianic.

So we're Messianic. Yes. We are a Messianic congregation just like every other one is anyway, we are an interdenominational independent Fellowship. That's from our Constitution Article 2. We follow foundational Christian doctrines. If you're curious what we follow our statement of belief in our purpose statement, and also what it means to be at a break Roots congregation and also taken some concerns about hypocrites fellowships and some insights. All those are on our website. So if you have questions about any of them see me, if you need a copy see me at such as such we had come we appreciate various traditions and understandings including the biblical a break roots of Christianity. I love that biblical hebraic roots of Christianity. It's a big thing. I really enjoy it. I really I really excited. I'm excited by it. I celebrated all those holidays. We celebrated. We appreciate various traditions and understandings we seek to follow Flow of the Holy Spirit we believe the Holy Spirit active in the world today and we think we can experience to some degree the flow of the holy spirit's that's something we do at church of Messiah. We listen to appreciate different views and expressions of worship and our goal is to strive for Unity in diversity. We've never been completely in agreement on every single thing ever. ever

I had a friend. He said Rob, how can you go to that church you guys don't agree on anything? At my church, we all agree on the same things. We all wear the same kind of Suits we all in 05 who got her hair cut the same way. I got all that stuff and I got yes. If you go to the church of all right thumb. So you're all in agreement. You're all just like I go to the Church of the whole body. We have hangnails of my church. And we love them.

We listen to appreciate that. We we we we react to we try to raise up the siples. How do we do that? Lots of different ways. Do we have a class on it? No. Do we do it? Yeah, how many think they've been disciple here at all? few people Thank you, and we demonstrate Grace while providing a safe place. We have to love everyone but at the same place we have to provide a safe place to worship Beyond, who can we celebrate with?

There's a lot of people in the world who celebrate Christ. I'm not sure about this first one. Can I celebrate with this guy?

He's being baptized. Something they do every year. Putin he was 65 years old when this was taken under the auspices of the Orthodox Church.

Was he serious? If you was I could celebrate with him.

This is three years ago. He's not so comfortable that he was any more two years ago not so comfortable anymore. He did it probably in a secluded secluded retreat, but he still did it a 68. Why did he do it these two times. This was his first time. This was the second time we know of we think that he did this. This is unbelievable. How many thought the Russians were atheist evolution is communist kind of people. What's he doing under the auspices of the Eastern Orthodox Church?

making it show or is it real? I don't know. I pray it's real and I pray that it's not real that it becomes real.

Here, I think he's not feeling quite as safe as he did three years earlier. He's got some conflict in the in the nation. This is Czech Republic. They're going out to throw a cross in the river and dive in and get it. It's at it's a holiday and celebrating baptism in the Czech Republic Bulgaria. Have you been to one of these?

As in what?

Every village with a river they do this in Bulgaria.

After the cross has been thrown in.

Greek Orthodox, this guy's got in the cross Istanbul. He's a happy man. Cuz he's going to be blessed. He's going to be blessed for the for the next year. This is something they really really value. It was yesterday. Yeah a piffany. Yeah.

different places different times Yelp

Do you recognize this one? This is India. celebration of the three kings no celebration of the three kings Mexico. Could we worship with these people? I don't know. kind of crazy How about these guys? This is team cot Epiphany in Ethiopia and Eritrea Orthodox stuck we do Church. This is I really I really am fascinated by this group. You see these guys with the with the square things on top of them. Do you know what those are?

Those are habits.

It represents the Ark of the Covenant with the word of God in it. And they're walking underneath the Ark of the Covenant with the word of God in it from 44 different temples and they're converging all together in one place to celebrate epiphany the baptism of Jesus.

Looks kind of hebraic.

What kind of a break? the Converge on this bath And the water is blessed similar to other parts in the world is sprinkle water on everybody Etc. Exciting Kazakhstan epiphany. Who could we celebrate with who could we worship with issues of the season for us? These are ours? Incarnation Epiphany revealing

Lord we pray in this season and throughout this coming year. I'm serious Lord. I pray this deeply and I think everyone here does help us to know how to speak truth in love in the midst of situations where we aren't quite in total agreement with the people were talking with whether they're the body of Christ or whether their family members or even whether they're people who don't know the Lord at all and are part of our family Lord help us to represent your incarnation. In us because you are in US. Help us to represent your Epiphany your revealing of yourself to the world one person at a time and help us help us. to represent you're revealing of yourself to the entire world help us to be agents of these actions that demonstrate your presence in and among. Now and even unto the future forever in Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. Amen.

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