Seeking Christ in Christmas.

Seeking Christ in Christmas.

Intro.....

In the busyness of the Christmas season, it can be very easy to lose sight of Christ.

The good natured holiday distractions, like Christmas trees, lights, holiday movies, presents and Santa clause.....

if we are not careful we can lose sight of the true reason for the season.

and that is .....When God entered the virgins womb and became a man....the fullness and mystery of godliness in a little baby.

This month of Christmas I will be preaching a sermon series called “Seeking Christ in Christmas”

We will be looking at many Christmas holiday traditions like the Christmas trees, lights.......

Santa and even the Grinch and finding how they all point to Christ.

I'm starting with the Wise-men today because they embody the spiritual principle that I'm preaching about today.

(Read Verse 1-2) 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, 2 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 wise men have left their eastern home and traveled for 2,1/2 years to find the lord Jesus.

These men left behind their homes, countries, friends and family, to follow the Star of Christ.

They embarked on a perilous journey through wilderness, desert and strange nations.

a caravan of men riding camels carrying great wealth through foreign nations was a invite to bandits and great risk to their lives.

but the wise men embraced uncomfortablility, hardship, adversity, danger and bitter distance from loved ones....

..They allowed none of these things to distract them from keeping their eyes of their hearts fixed on the Star of Christ.

We must learn from these men, we must follow them as they follow Christ!

We must pick up our cross and follow Christ just as they climbed upon a camel and followed the Star.

We must forsake our sins and leave the world just as these wise-men left the east and forsook their false gods.

We must embrace the potential for risk, insecurity, adversity, hardship and sacrifice in our spiritual journeys as we follow Jesus today.

Notice this, the Wise-men had studied the old testament scriptures and believed their prophecies....Through faith they became “Strangers and Pilgrims” in a strange land.

Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city

The Wise-men followed the Bethlehem Star, just as we are called to follow Christ who is called the bright and Morning star in (Revelation 22:16)

Jesus is the light of the World, and those who follow him will not walk in darkness but follow him in light and truth. (John 8:12)

The Bible is called a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path in Psalm 119:105

The Wisemen are a beutiful living illustration of these three Bible verses.

By the light of Gods word, by the light of the bright and Morningstar of Christ,

they left the east and came to jerusalem seeking Jesus...........

So are we being “wise-men” this December.....

Are we keeping Christ as the center of our Christmas season?

Are we living our life's by the light of Gods Word?

Have we left the DARK world behind to seek the Bright and Morningstar of Jesus Christ?

or do we yet remain in the east? do we yet remain in sin and darkness?

let us examine our hearts and make sure, that we are wise-men who seek the light of Christ in a dark world.

Verse 3-8) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Beth-lehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Notice Herod is not a wise-man, he does not seek Christ, he is not looking for the Star....

He is too distracted by his own lust for power, his love of ego and wealth.

he can not see the light of Christ through the thick darkness of his own sin.

Notice in verse 4 that Herod has access to the words of God, but he rejects them...

Herod does not walk by the light of Gods word but stumbles in spiritual darkness.

in fact when he hears the testimony of the wise-men, that they have followed the star of the messiah,

and have come to worship the “promised King of the Jews” he is “troubled”

this original Greek word refers to one who is “agitated, like water that is aggressively stirred. to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, to disquiet, make restless to strike one's spirit with fear and dread “

How strange.........that the coming of Christ in the manger, the birth of the Son of God the messiah would make a king tremble....

but notice, the same feelings occur in the wicked mans heart when he hears that Christ is returning.

Notice that many people today dread the return of Christ just as much as KING Herod dreaded the birth of Christ.

Why? because they are sinful, they are not living right and they do not want to face their King.

Herod had a throne to protect and so does the sinner today, the throne of their own evil heart.

So challenge for you church family.......Does the return of Christ feel you with dread or joy?

But i want to look at king Herod one more time.....Notice his selfishness.

all he cares about is material possessions and wealth, power, ego and his status.

he is so distracted by these things, he can not see Christ nor the light of his Star.

Jesus was born 6 miles from his throne, but he's so blind by selfishness he cant see what the wise-men saw from 900 miles away.

the wise-men were from Persia or modern day Iran and that's roughly 900 miles from Bethlehem yet they saw the bright and Morning star of Jesus 2 years earlier.

they saw 900 miles away what Herod couldn't see in his backyard.

What's my point? Don't be distracted by the materialism and commercialism of Christmas today and miss Jesus!

Don't be obsessed with self and don't obsess about getting what from who.......

Focus on Christ, keep your eyes on him and THEN help others see him in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.