MATTHEW 2:1-2 | A JOURNEY WORTH TAKING
Notes
Transcript
MATTHEW 2:1-2 | A JOURNEY WORTH TAKING
MATTHEW 2:1-2 | A JOURNEY WORTH TAKING
ME : How do I struggle with this?
ME : How do I struggle with this?
INTRODUCTION: I remember as a little kid, being loaded up in our car, with my baby sister in her carseat next to me.
INTRODUCTION: I remember as a little kid, being loaded up in our car, with my baby sister in her carseat next to me.
We were traveling down from Indiana to Florida, and somewhere along the way in Tennessee or Georgia, we had hit construction and traffic came to a stop.
It was fairly late in the night, and I can remember my sister began to cry.
I was 9 or 10 years old and she was only 2 or 3, and we were stuck there, side by side.
I remember her cries turned to screams as she wanted to get out of that carseat.
I was traumatized by that night in that car because of her continued cries.
Now as a parent, there have been numerous times we have discussed traveling places…
But one of the big things that seems to hold us back, is the distance we would have to travel.
Because there are just some journeys that just aren’t worth taking!
WE : How do we all deal with this?
WE : How do we all deal with this?
EXPLANATION: We’ve all been at that place where something just feels like too far of a distance to travel.
EXPLANATION: We’ve all been at that place where something just feels like too far of a distance to travel.
Something is too hard or too far or too expensive.
That’s why people don’t exercise right?
If you could go to the gym for one day and have a six pack and rippling muscles, every guys would head to the gym tomorrow.
But it doesn’t work that way
And we have determined that the journey to getting in shape isn’t worth taking.
It’s the same thing with jobs
There are certain jobs that you could get that would pay more money or give better benefits, but it would cost you in your time or where you live, or maybe it’s just too dangerous
ILLUSTRATION: I read yesterday that the average hourly wage for a person to change the light bulb at the top of a telephone tower is $31.55.
ILLUSTRATION: I read yesterday that the average hourly wage for a person to change the light bulb at the top of a telephone tower is $31.55.
Can I tell you, that isn’t a journey worth taking for me!
And every person here has their line of what isn’t worth crossing… it isn’t worth the journey
EXPLANATION: And the truth is, your are exactly as close to God has you want to be this morning.
EXPLANATION: And the truth is, your are exactly as close to God has you want to be this morning.
If you wanted to be closer to God, you could be… but you have decided just how far along that journey you are willing to go.
We live in a day and time where it is the easiest it has ever been to be a Bible scholar!
It used to be that you had to learn Hebrew and Greek to be able to understand some of the difficult parts in the Bible.
But with the programs and software we have available, most of the hard work has already been done for you
All you have to do is be intentional about learning a few simple thing for how to use those Bible softwares.
But for most Christians, they have determined that isn’t a journey worth taking for them.
They are ok with a casual Christianity
A casual relationship with God.
ILLUSTRATION: You know, there are a lot of people I’m happy to have a casual relationship with.
ILLUSTRATION: You know, there are a lot of people I’m happy to have a casual relationship with.
There are friend and even some family that we get to know, and we have a casual relationship with.
But then there are a few that I have a closer relationship with… deeper than a casual relationship.
But there is one person that I am not content to have a casual relationship, or even a next level relationship with.
You see with my wife I want to have an intimately close relationship.
It’s more than just, “Hey, how’s it going… how was your week.”
It’s a relationship worth pursuing deeper!
APPLICATION: Friend, how deep is your relationship with God?
APPLICATION: Friend, how deep is your relationship with God?
I can promise you, it will be exactly as deep as you want it to be.
GOD : What does the Bible say?
GOD : What does the Bible say?
EXPLANATION: Here in Matthew 2, we are introduced to some individuals that we honestly know very little about.
EXPLANATION: Here in Matthew 2, we are introduced to some individuals that we honestly know very little about.
And yet they have become a staple in the Christmas story!
You cannot find a nativity scene without the inclusion of the 3 wise men.
But the truth is, much of what we have been told about them is purely speculative.
Chances are, there were actually quite a bit more than just 3 men.
They probably traveled with a fairly large group.
The probably weren’t kings as one Christmas song loves to call them, but more likely astrologers, similar to those that were called upon back in Daniel’s day by the kings to interpret the king’s dreams.
But what we can learn from them, should challenge us to pursue Christ in our lives!
Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
The Bible tells us that these wise men traveled from “the east”
Many scholars believe this was most likely from Persia.
If they did indeed travel from there the journey would have been somewhere around 500 miles.
They didn’t travel by plane or car… no they would have most likely travelled by camel.
At a fairly brisk pace of 10 miles per day, that means the trip would have taken them around 50 days, or around 2 months time to get there.
But don’t forget they would have had to travel back home which would have added another 2 months to their journey.
But some scholars believe the distance was even further, as much 900 miles, which would have nearly doubled their distance traveled.
On a trip of that distance and time frame, you can imagine, not every day would have been sunshine.
There is not question over the months that they traveled there were days where it rained… stormed… the wind blew.
There would have been some rough nights of sleep as weather pelted that caravan of foreign travelers.
There were nights when the moon didn’t show and it was dark our in the wilderness.
There were days when the sun didn’t shine.
Depending on what time of year they traveled it could have been cold, maybe even snow flurries greeted them on part of their trip.
In addition to obstacles of weather and time, there is no question that this trip cost them financially.
It’s unlikely that any kingdom was footing the bill for their travels, so they would have been paying for this trip out of their own pocket.
The food costs for them and for their animals.
Like on any good roadtrip, there was undoubtedly a break down somewhere along the way… maybe a camel had a flat tire.
They had to take time away from their jobs as well, meaning a lack of income for a significant duration of time.
This wasn’t some weekend trip they had taken.
This wasn’t a quick ride down the road.
This was a journey
But this was a journey that they had deemed was worth taking!
Why?
Because they had studied the Scriptures.
They had read the verses like:
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: There shall come a Star out of Jacob, And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite the corners of Moab, And destroy all the children of Sheth.
They had read Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
They read Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
And one night, while they were going about their normal business they looked into the sky and noticed something that hadn’t been there before.
It was a star that had appeared!
They had seen stars burn out before, but never a star appearing in the sky out of nowhere.
And in faith and a careful understanding of God’s Word, they began their journey to come see the child King that had been born!
Some, no doubt, thought they were crazy.
Many thought they had lost their minds leaving their jobs to chase after some star in the sky
A journey like this would have cost them greatly!
But they knew… this was a journey worth taking!
ILLUSTRATION: Jesus was in the glories of heaven.
ILLUSTRATION: Jesus was in the glories of heaven.
He was there creating in the beginning.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And yet Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven to come to this sin-cursed earth
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Jesus could have come as a reigning King, but instead came as a baby and was laid in a lowly manger.
And at this time of year we celebrate His wonderful birth!
But it isn’t His humble beginnings that make His birth worth celebrating.
No, it is the reason that He came!
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Yes Jesus came to this earth to give His life for you and for me!
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus left the glories of heaven, was born in a manger, and gave His life on the cross for you and for me, because He knew it was a journey worth taking!
YOU : What should you do about this?
YOU : What should you do about this?
APPLICATION: Friend, I want to encourage you that the journey to Jesus is worth it!
APPLICATION: Friend, I want to encourage you that the journey to Jesus is worth it!
If you have never accepted Christ as your Saviour, the journey is worth it!
I have had stories shared with me of people’s lives in this room, that aren’t mine to tell.
Stories that would leave others shocked and stunned by what they had been through in their life.
And the truth is, we all have a story to tell.
And in your life, God has brought you through the things you have gone through, because He wants you to arrive at the manger today, and see a baby that was born as a sacrifice for you.
Jesus was born so that you could be saved from your sins!
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.
Friend, maybe God has allowed you to go through the journey of life that you have gone through because He wanted you to come to this day and to call on His name for salvation.
There are many this morning, that you started on your journey with Jesus at salvation, but you haven’t pursued a close relationship with Him.
Friend, the journey cost these wise men greatly, but it was a journey worth taking!
And your journey with Christ is going to cost you…
It will cost you time
Daily time with Him
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Faithfulness to church
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Learning to carefully study God’s Word for yourself!
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Especially during this Christmas season, life get’s so buy and you have to intentionally pursue Christ in your daily life!
For some it may cost the closeness in other relationship so you can be closer to Christ.
There could be some friends or people in your life that are leading you away from a close relationship with Christ.
I can promise you, when you choose to grow closer to Christ, you don’t have to separate from people because they will do one of two things… Grow with you… or separate from you.
There could be some parents in here that have to make the decision to lead their kids to have a relationship with Christ… and if you haven’t been doing it, it’ll be hard at first.
But friend, no matter what it may appear to cost, I can promise you, the journey is worth taking!
As we are reaching the end of the year and we are celebrating the coming of the Savior, can I challenge you to to be closer to God than you’ve ever been.
Because you will be exactly as close to Christ as you want to be!
WE : How can we all practically apply this?
WE : How can we all practically apply this?
ILLUSTRATION: That night as a 9-10 year old boy certainly left me traumatized about taking trips in the future.
ILLUSTRATION: That night as a 9-10 year old boy certainly left me traumatized about taking trips in the future.
But there was one thing that kept me wanting to continue on in that car…
I knew that soon we would reach Florida, and in Florida there was a town called Orlando… and in Orlando, there was Disney world!
And for that little 9-10 year old boy, that was a journey worth taking!
APPLICATION: Friend, if you know Christ, one day, like the wisemen, you will reach your destination.
APPLICATION: Friend, if you know Christ, one day, like the wisemen, you will reach your destination.
And just like the wisemen, you will worship Christ.
And on that day you will realize
No matter what you may have faced
No matter what difficulties you went through
No matter how much pain and suffering you may have felt.
You will be able to say… It was worth it.
It was worth it to intentionally grow closer to Christ
It was worth it to tell others about Him
It was worth it
Friend, we have one month left of this year… why don’t you purpose to grow closer to Jesus during these next 31 days.
To be closer to Him than you’ve ever been.
I can promise you will reach the end of this year, and you’ll be able to say, “This is a journey worth taking!”